Disclaimer

Imagine reading a novel in the sanctuary of your own home, only to realize in one heart-stopping moment that it is a novel about you . . . and about one awful day, twenty years ago, that you’ve spent the rest of your life trying to forget.

When a book entitled The Perfect Stranger lands in her mailbox, successful documentary filmmaker Catherine is intrigued. But as she turns its pages, she realizes its dark story is inspired by her own life. In vivid and harrowing detail, the narrative describes the day on which her life changed forever and she became hostage to a dark secret. Desperate to discover who the author is and what he or she wants, Catherine races to the end—only to be confronted by a portrayal of her death.

Intertwined with Catherine’s narrative is that of Stephen Brigstocke, a grieving widower who discovers among his late wife’s possessions a manuscript that horrifies him. Convinced that it tells the truth—that Catherine caused their son’s death twenty years ago—he cannot rest until he exposes her guilt. He shares it not only with her but also with her husband and son, both of whom react violently to its contents. As Catherine’s world falls apart, she knows that the only way forward is to confront Brigstocke and tell him what really happened that day, even if the reality is even more agonizing than what he currently believes.

Disclaimer is a breathtakingly suspenseful debut novel about a woman haunted by secrets, the corrosive power of grief, the consuming desire for revenge and the terrible price we pay for hiding the truth.

Renée Knight worked for the BBC directing arts documentaries before turning to writing. She has had TV and film scripts commissioned by the BBC, Channel Four, and Capital Films. In April 2013, she graduated from the Faber Academy “Writing a Novel” course, whose alumni include S. J. Watson. She lives in London with her husband and two children.