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The
Daughter
Families can be murder
What if the only way to find out what happened to your mother, was to actually become her?
After weight loss and growing her hair long for the first time, Hannah Davidson is un-nerved to realise that she is now the spitting image of her mother. And Hannah is the exact same age that her mother was when she was murdered twenty-three years ago. It is strange enough for dowdy Hannah to be compared with her glamourous mother, but when her dementia-riven father Philip starts confusing them and talks to her as if she really is her mother, she is seriously unnerved.
With her father’s health rapidly failing, Hannah seeks out her estranged brother Reece, now a famous actor. But Reece’s certainty that their father killed their mother has not dimmed with time. Hannah is sure he’s innocent and starts to use her likeness to her mother to elicit information from everyone who knew her. But as she starts to close in on the murderer, Hannah starts to worry that her mother’s presence is overtaking her.
We all wonder how like our parents we really are, sometimes with fondness, sometimes with horror. This novel follows Hannah as she tries to escape the shadow of her parents’ genes and actions. It explores many themes: of splintered siblings and how children can have identical upbringings but contrasting memories; dealing with grief; fear of change; the damage done by hidden secrets; the positive side of obsessiveness; and the triumph of the will to find answers and never give up.
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Quotes for
The Daughter
“This compelling, beautifully written novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever had family dramas to contend with. I raced through it and was utterly gripped throughout. More importantly, it’s utterly unique.”
SOPHIE HANNAH
“Liz Webb’s THE DAUGHTER is a breathless exciting debut’”
THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST CRIME BOOKS 2022
“A page turner about family, fame and the secrets behind closed doors, that will keep you guessing until the end.”
ALAN DAVIES
“A riveting debut with an unforgettable protagonist. This is a thriller laced with dark humour that will make you laugh and gasp in equal measure. Not to be missed!”
ROBIN MORGAN-BENTLEY
author of The Wreckage
“The Daughter is a thrilling and pacy debut which kept me guessing right until the end.”
SOPHIA SPEARS
author of The Call of Cassandra Rose
“Fast paced with gothic undertones, this debut novel cuts a fascinating path between psychological family drama and murder mystery. It should win Webb many fans.”
JENNY LECOAT
New York Times bestselling author of The Girl from the Channel Islands
“Like peeling the juiciest onion; Liz serves up, delicious layer after layer, an absolute delight of dark revelations.”
GORDON J BROWN
author of Any Day Now
“Move over Paula Hawkins, there is a new thriller Queen in town.”
CATHERINE YARDLEY
author of Ember
“Trying to mix comedy with psychological thriller-writing is risky, but Liz Webb has pulled it off with this beautifully observed, darkly funny and surprisingly tender debut. Webb’s perfectly tuned one-liners and powerful understanding of loss make this truly stand out in a noisy marketplace that only rarely delivers such a thoughtful, pitch-perfect read.”
DAILY MAIL
“A gothic heroine for our times bestrides this dark, intriguing and, at times, laugh-out-loud, thriller. A relatable four-dimensional character, constant surprises and twisting turns keep the narrative sprinting along. Totally engrossing.”
JO BRAND
“Masterful writing – can’t believe this is a debut”
CJ SKUSE
author of Sweetpea
“Webb has created an extraordinarily compelling character in Hannah Davidson, one I won’t forget for a long time. Darkly funny and beautifully written, The Daughter is a fantastic debut. An exciting new author has hit the scene and I’m already anticipating her future work.”
SARAH LAWTON
author of All the Little Things
“The Daughter is so well written it draws you in from the first page and the brilliant structure and compelling characters grab you and keep you guessing right up to the end. Liz Webb has done such a brilliant job.”
MAX MANNING
author of Don’t Look Now
“Laced with sarcastic humour that is fresh and sharply observed, The Daughter explores family resentments in a twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah and Louise Candlish.”
CARON MCKINLAY
author of The Storytellers
Listen to an extract
Hear an extract of The Daughter read by Clare Corbett
Read an extract
Download the first chapter of The Daughter
free short story
‘The Fox Yelp’ – featuring Hannah, the heroine of my new novel ‘The Daughter’, when she was younger, in a separate incident from the book.
Listen to an extract
Hear an extract of The Daughter read by Clare Corbett
Read an extract
Download the first chapter of The Daughter
free short story
‘The Fox Yelp’ – featuring Hannah, the heroine of my new novel ‘The Daughter’, when she was younger, in a separate incident from the book.
Extras
Lying Comes Frighteningly Easy To Me
‘Hi, I’m interested in buying the house backing onto Highgate Woods on your website,’ I announced into the phone, projecting all the confidence I could muster.
‘Wonderful, shall we book in an appointment for a viewing?’ said the innocent estate agent.
Bitter Quince
In the summer 2018, I hated the quince tree in my front garden. And I mean, properly detested it. I would look out of my study window and stare at it with such loathing that I thought my evil thoughts would singe the leaves, blacken the trunk and set the whole bloody thing alight, the fruits exploding like fireworks.
Articles
Ham & High – Interview with Liz
From First Page to Last – Interview with Liz
Taking it on the chin – Allison & Busby guest post
Faber Academy: ‘Am I Marmite?‘
Curtis Brown Interview – Read it here.
Crime Time: ‘Provoking Fear and Laughter’
Jericho Writers Interview – Read it here.
Shots Magazine: ‘No one ever thinks they are the baddie‘
Culture Fly: ‘Liz Webb’s 5 Favourite Marmite Characters‘
Female First: ‘7 jobs that helped me become a writer‘
Bookseller: ‘Allison & Busby publish Webb’s “dark and quirky” debut‘
Reviews
The Sunday Times: ‘The Best Crime Books of 2022 So Far‘
The Daily Mail: ‘Psycho Thrillers‘
Shots Magazine: ‘Why no one ever thinks they are a baddie’
Shepherd – ‘The best books that explore childhood trauma‘.
Promoting Crime Fiction – Read it here.
Best Magazine – Read it here.
The Independent: ‘A Dark, Tangled Web‘