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Not a Word by Linwood Barclay

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Not a Word

Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date
10 September 2026
Run Time
9 hours 46 minutes
Format
Audiobook

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What to expect

'This book is in the can't-put-it-down category. You're gonna love it' Stephen King

'Magnificent. Gripping. Barclay has simply never been better' Daily Mail

'Linwood Barclay is a flat-out master of the modern thriller' David Koepp

‘A gritty, twisty, heart-stopping blockbuster’SAGA

* * * * *

Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong person?

Every family has secrets, but when Reece visits his parents’ house, he’s shocked to find them in bed, dead. At first glance it looks like a murder-suicide perpetrated by his father, but on closer inspection there’s clearly more to the story. For starters, inconsistencies in the crime scene suggest his dad may not have shot himself.

As Reece, shaken by his horrifying discovery, awaits questioning from the police, his phone lights up with a call. It’s the last person he ever would have expected to hear from.

Reeling from the day’s events, Reece finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew about his parents – and whether he and his own family are in danger now. While the authorities work to untangle the baffling crime scene, Reece is pulled into a web of secrets linked to the unscrupulous pharma company his father worked for years ago.

In order to protect the people he loves most, he’ll have to dig deep into his own past to understand who his parents were, what they did, and who they hurt – before he ends up paying for their sins.

In the latest chilling thriller from Number One bestseller Linwood Barclay, a man’s world is upended after he stumbles upon a grisly crime scene in the family home.

* * * * *

Readers are HOOKED by Not a Word:

'Gripping. Clever twists, strong pacing, and that addictive “just one more chapter” pull' ★★★★★

'A wild ride with twists and turns aplenty' ★★★★★

'Exceptional. I was hooked in from the first chapter' ★★★★★

* * * * *

Praise for Not a Word:

'Original and brilliantly paced, I could not put it down'Prima

'A tense, fast-paced thriller full of twists' Woman's Own

'First-class storytelling from a first-rate novelist' Booklist

'This fast-paced page-turner will keep readers guessing until the end' Library Journal

'The plot twists come fast and furious as past and present collide, but never at the expense of readers’ emotional investment. It’s a winner' Publishers Weekly

BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR DELIA ONLINE

* * * * *

Praise for Linwood Barclay:

‘Linwood Barclay has crafted another perfect page-turner’ The Times

‘Pacy and tense, it’s a triumph from a master thriller writer. Every page makes your heart beat that little bit faster’ The Sun

‘You’ll be left speed-reading towards the end to discover answers expertly posed by the bestselling Toronto-based crime writer’ The Independent

‘Totally absorbing… brilliant stuff’ Neil Lancaster

‘A superior thriller’ Sunday Times

Critics Review

  • PRAISE FOR LINWOOD BARCLAY:
  • ‘Devilishly good’ Shari Lapena
  • ‘The novel speeds from first page to last… Bravo!’ Jeffery Deaver
  • ‘A fast-moving, high-concept thriller from the talented Barclay’ Daily Mail
See more reviews
  • ‘Linwood Barclay is in a class of his own’ T.M. Logan
  • ‘One of the finest thriller writers in the world at the very top of his game’ Mark Billingham

User Reviews

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Details

Author
Linwood Barclay
Narrator
Nan McNamara, Johnathan McClain
Duration
9 hours 46 minutes
Release Date
10 September 2026
ISBN
9780008555825
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Genre
Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction, Psychological thriller, Adventure / action fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Medical thriller

Synopsis

'This book is in the can't-put-it-down category. You're gonna love it' Stephen King 'Magnificent. Gripping. Barclay has simply never been better' Daily Mail 'Linwood Barclay is a flat-out master of the modern thriller' David Koepp ‘A gritty, twisty, heart-stopping blockbuster’SAGA * * * * * Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong person? Every family has secrets, but when Reece visits his parents’ house, he’s shocked to find them in bed, dead. At first glance it looks like a murder-suicide perpetrated by his father, but on closer inspection there’s clearly more to the story. For starters, inconsistencies in the crime scene suggest his dad may not have shot himself. As Reece, shaken by his horrifying discovery, awaits questioning from the police, his phone lights up with a call. It’s the last person he ever would have expected to hear from. Reeling from the day’s events, Reece finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew about his parents – and whether he and his own family are in danger now. While the authorities work to untangle the baffling crime scene, Reece is pulled into a web of secrets linked to the unscrupulous pharma company his father worked for years ago. In order to protect the people he loves most, he’ll have to dig deep into his own past to understand who his parents were, what they did, and who they hurt – before he ends up paying for their sins. In the latest chilling thriller from Number One bestseller Linwood Barclay, a man’s world is upended after he stumbles upon a grisly crime scene in the family home. * * * * * Readers are HOOKED by Not a Word: 'Gripping. Clever twists, strong pacing, and that addictive “just one more chapter” pull' ★★★★★ 'A wild ride with twists and turns aplenty' ★★★★★ 'Exceptional. I was hooked in from the first chapter' ★★★★★ * * * * * Praise for Not a Word: 'Original and brilliantly paced, I could not put it down'Prima 'A tense, fast-paced thriller full of twists' Woman's Own 'First-class storytelling from a first-rate novelist' Booklist 'This fast-paced page-turner will keep readers guessing until the end' Library Journal 'The plot twists come fast and furious as past and present collide, but never at the expense of readers’ emotional investment. It’s a winner' Publishers Weekly BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR DELIA ONLINE * * * * * Praise for Linwood Barclay: ‘Linwood Barclay has crafted another perfect page-turner’ The Times ‘Pacy and tense, it’s a triumph from a master thriller writer. Every page makes your heart beat that little bit faster’ The Sun ‘You’ll be left speed-reading towards the end to discover answers expertly posed by the bestselling Toronto-based crime writer’ The Independent ‘Totally absorbing… brilliant stuff’ Neil Lancaster ‘A superior thriller’ Sunday Times

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