Deadline

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What to expect

Brought vividly to life by acclaimed actress Faye Marsay, known for her roles in Adolescence, Ten Pound Poms, and Game of Thrones.

Featuring an exclusive audio Q&A with author Steph McGovern and narrator Faye Marsay, available only in this edition.

The debut crime thriller from award-winning broadcaster and journalist Steph McGovern.

'A pacy, witty, engaging thriller, entertaining and delightfully authentic, but hard-hitting and thought-provoking too. I can't wait for you all to read it' – Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope series

Your child has been kidnapped.

You're live on television.

Going live in 10, 9, 8 . . .
Today is a huge day for TV reporter Rose’s career. A live interview with one of the most powerful men in the country, on one of the nation’s biggest TV shows.

7, 6, 5 . . .
But, when she hears an unfamiliar voice in her ear, she knows something is very wrong.

4, 3, 2 . . .
Her earpiece has been hacked. She’s live on air in the middle of the interview. They tell her they have kidnapped her family.

1
And, in order to protect them, Rose must do exactly what the hijacker says. They are in control now.

* * *

'Fascinating and authentic peek behind the scenes . . . Steph McGovern lifts the lid and hooks us in with an irresistible set up' – Val McDermid, author of Past Lying

Critics Review

A pacy, witty, engaging thriller, entertaining and delightfully authentic, but hard-hitting and thought-provoking too. I can't wait for you all to read it.
Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera Stanhope and Shetland crime series
Fascinating and authentic peek behind the scenes . . . Steph McGovern lifts the lid and hooks us in with an irresistible set up.
Val McDermid, author of Past Lying
A fantastic premise. I was totally hooked from the dramatic start. Deadline is racy and entertaining with a thought provoking core. I’m already looking forward to reading more Rose Steedman adventures.
Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You
Brilliant! I love how it describes all the behind the scenes of TV and I had no idea where it was going. So clever. So good.
Kimberley Walsh
Pacy, clever, funny, believable dialogue, great plot.
Simon Rimmer
Thrilling, funny and an insightful look behind the TV scenes as well as a powerful exploration of class and power.
Jo Callaghan, author of In the Blink of an Eye
Deadline catapults Steph McGovern into the very top tier of UK crime writers. With an authentic northern voice, unrivalled inside information and a plot that’s twistier than a Slinky on acid, Steph expertly ratchets up the tension in this superbly paced thriller. Highly recommended.
M. W. Craven, author of The Puppet Show
An adrenaline-fueled story that takes you behind the scenes of TV into an unexpected world of corruption, politics and power. Authentic and relatable, it starts strong and doesn't let up until the breathless and satisfying last page. A sure fire top ratings hit!
Araminta Hall, author of One of the Good Guys
Intriguing and inventive, Deadline takes an ingenious hook - a TV reporter’s feed being hijacked - to explore the murky underbelly of Westminster, and what happens when politics, journalism, and a group of fifteen-year-olds adept at social media collide. Topical, authentic, and uncompromising. A slow-burn that will leave you questioning red herrings before speeding up to a rattling good read.
Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal
If you want a real taste of what news world is like . . . and a tense plot line with added humour and messages on social justice
Nina Warhurst
Steph McGovern is responsible for depriving me of sleep for three nights straight. Deadline takes a brilliant concept and turns the pace up to breakneck speed, making it quite literally impossible - physically impossible for human beings - to put down. I simply had to know how it ended.
The Secret Barrister
With insider's eye for detail and an ingenious mind for plot, McGovern's debut is immersive, smart and packed with head-spinning twists. Loved it!
Ellery Lloyd, author of The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby
Thrilling, captivating and full of heart
Giovanna Fletcher, author of Billy and Me
A clever set-up
The Times

User Reviews

Book 3.8
Narration 4.5
4.0
5.0
4.25⭐️ Rose Steedman is live on air, just starting the biggest interview of her career with the chancellor of the United Kingdom. Then there is a crackle in her earpiece. A new voice starts speaking. "I have your wife and son". As long as Rose follows the instructions of the hijacker, they will walk out alive.

As soon as I saw the premise for this book, I knew I wanted to read it - so when the audiobook went on sale on Xigxag, I bought it. I really enjoyed it and binged the last third of the book in a day as I was so hooked! The mystery was complex and clever and I liked how it all came together in the end. This was the first book that made me go right back to the start to find the clues I had missed! Also I loved Faye Marsay as a narrator, she acted each character well and I love hearing the accents for each character, including the Teesside accent for Rose. 

The one thing that would have pushed my rating higher is if the whole book was structured like the last third, where the hijack and backstory were effectively layered to build tension in both timelines until the climax and final reveal of the story. The chunk of backstory in the middle of the book was still purposeful and intriguing and kept me reading to see how it connected to the main story, but I always personally find layered structures - with one or two chapters in either timeline before switching - to be the most gripping as little reveals/cliffhangers left at the end of each chapter make me race through a book as I have to read through the alternate timeline in the next chapter to unlock the next part of the story - for both timelines!

Overall a really good debut! I highly recommend this book, esp if you like stories that are multi-timeline and multi-POV. I’m very excited to see what Steph’s next book will be about, and will definitely be reading it when it comes out. I also recommend the audiobook as Faye Marsay’s narration was excellent.
Erzua 11/11/2025
1.0
3.0
I’m over half way through this book and still nothing has happened I keep thinking one more chapter but then we go back 5 years and still nothing, I think I could get a job as a reporter now because that’s all the book is about, I’m giving up on it , wasted my money 😢
jackiey 09/11/2025
5.0
5.0
Eviecatmum 17/10/2025
5.0
5.0
angie1 18/08/2025

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