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The Imposter

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What to expect

They say you can't choose your family . . . But what if they're wrong?

Chloe lives a quiet life. Working as a newspaper archivist in the day and taking care of her nan in the evening, she's happy simply to read about the lives of others as she files the news clippings from the safety of her desk.

But there's one story that she can't stop thinking about. The case of Angie Kyle – a girl, Chloe's age, who went missing as a child. A girl whose parents never gave up hope.

When Chloe's nan is moved into care, leaving Chloe on the brink of homelessness, she takes a desperate step: answering an ad to be a lodger in the missing girl's family home. It could be the perfect opportunity to get closer to the story she's read so much about. But it's not long until she realizes this couple isn't all they seem. In a house where everyone has something to hide, is it possible to get too close?

Anna Wharton’s debut, The Imposter, is a thought-provoking story of obsession, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves in order to live with ourselves.

'Evocative and compelling' – Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend and The Last Wife

Critics Review

Masterful characterisation and a compelling narrative makes this a must-read debut
Clare Mackintosh
A slick, clever book that delivers the most chilling and claustrophobic setting: moving the narrator into the home of the character you fear the most. You won’t be able to stop page turning until you finally find out what the hell is going on
Caroline Corcoran, author of Through the Wall and The Baby Group
Keeps you guessing about the characters until the last page
Good Housekeeping
Evocative and compelling
Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend and The Last Wife
An intricate plot stuffed with surprises and underpinned with a huge helping of heart
Holly Seddon, author of Try Not To Breathe and The Hit List
A darkly compelling and original story exploring loneliness and obsession and the desire to belong
Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl and The Hiding Place
I loved The Imposter. It's twisty and gripping, and I raced through to the end. It's also thoughtful and moving, with characters who lingered in my mind long after I'd turned the last page
Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request and Three Little Lies
A compelling story of obsession and loneliness
Nell Pattison, author of The Silent House and The Silent Suspect
With an intriguing and obsessive protagonist and a claustrophobic setting, it’s a tense and compelling read that kept me turning the pages until the final twist
Debbie Howells, author of The Bones of You and The Vow
I read Anna’s book in one sitting and loved it! It grips and drags you into ever darker, more terrifying territory right up to the last paragraph, and beyond that, too, leaving you grappling with your own sense of morality
Tasha Kavanagh, author of Things We Have in Common
Evocative, beautifully written and wise, this pacy novel really is one of the best pieces of fiction I have read this year
Fiona Mitchell, author of The Swap
Takes the perennial theme of a missing child and makes something unfamiliar from it
The Literary Review

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