The Empty Cradle

Lisa Rookes

ISBN 10: 1398716537 / ISBN 13: 9781398716537

Published by Orion Publishing Co, GB, 2025

About this Item

'An absolutely wild read full of twists and turns. Cancel all your plans before reading this one because you will turn page after page until you get to that ending which. WOW. A solid 5 stars.' Reader Review, ?????Amy is certain her husband, Joel, is committed to their future. It's his dream of starting a family that keeps them trying for a baby, despite setback after setback. So when Amy discovers Joel is having an affair with her best friend, she's devastated.Reeling, she escapes to a crumbling cottage in a remote Yorkshire village, a place she'd once imagined turning into a warm, welcoming home. At first, she feels like an outsider, but then a group of local women draw her into their book club. Before long, they've made themselves part of her life. And her home.Then the strange things begin. Amy wakes one night in the fields with no memory of getting there. Her new surveillance camera captures shadows creeping around her house. And then Amy discovers she's pregnant.To Amy, the pregnancy feels like a twisted joke, but the book club is thrilled. And while Amy tries to tell herself it's all in her head, the women's interest doesn't always feel safe. Is it Amy they're really interested in? Or her baby?What everyone is saying about The Empty Cradle:'This thriller is a pulse-pounding ride full of sharp twists and electrifying suspense. The writing is sleek and fast-paced. impossible to put down. Each reveal is more shocking than the last, building to a jaw-dropping conclusion. It's everything you want in a page-turner.' Reader Review, ?????'The twists are superior. deliciously dark.' Reader Review, ?????'A heart-pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat! It was fast-paced, edge of the seat thriller that was extremely well executed. I was gripped from the very first page!' Reader Review, ?????'I recommend reading this book straight away. Definitely 5 stars ??????????' Reader Review, ?????'This book had it all; it was a wild ride of lies and deceit that had many twists and turns which lead to a great but shocking finale!' Reader Review, ?????'I loved trying to figure this out but mostly just being taken along to wherever Lisa wanted to take me with it. A gripping read and very original plot.' Reader Review, ?????

Seller Inventory # LU-9781398716537

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Empty Cradle
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co, GB
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1398716537
• ISBN 13: 9781398716537
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 240 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Amy's so sure that her husband, Joel, is deeply invested in their future together. After all, it's his dream of a family together that has them trying so hard to have a baby, despite a series of disappointments. It's this certainty that leaves Amy absolutely floored when she learns of Joel's affair with her best friend.

Heartbroken and horrified, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village, a place she'd bought with dreams of making it feel homey and warm. In the new village, she feels like a clear outsider, but a group of local women soon take her under their wing. They gather for a routine book club, they say. Before Amy knows it, these women are in her life, and in her home.

Amy wakes one night to find herself outside in the fields. Strange offerings seem to be left on her doorstep. And the surveillance camera she installs shows shapes creeping around her house in the night. Strangest of all, she suddenly finds she's pregnant. A pregnancy that feels like a cruel joke.

The book club is incredibly invested in Amy's pregnancy. And it might just be in Amy's mind, but the women's interest doesn't always seem safe. What do the women want with her? And what do they want with her baby?

About the Author

Lisa is an award-winning journalist and lecturer. She spent the start of her career as a crime reporter and news editor before moving to national newspapers and women's magazines. She is currently head of the undergraduate Journalism programme at the University of Sheffield and has won further multiple awards for her teaching.
Her debut gothic thriller The Vanishing of Joni Blackwood is published 2024. She lives in Holmfirth in South Yorkshire with her husband, two sons, an arthritic Labrador and a disabled pug.