It’s a new year, and my tenth novel is on the way!

Okay, so that sentence feels surreal to write…

The Shopkeeper is a deliciously tense and unsettling thriller that I’ve been waiting to release for years. Now, finally, it’s ready to be read – and this one might just be my darkest story yet, featuring the most evil and truly twisted villain I’ve ever written, and I don’t say that lightly.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to write a story about a true psychopath. Not a misunderstood antagonist. Not someone shaped by circumstance with a tragic edge or a chance at redemption. But someone for whom there is genuinely no way back. Someone who knows exactly what they want, with no morals about how to get it. To add to that, I’ve always wanted to write a story about a stalker – about how they think and justify their actions. The most chilling thing about The Shopkeeper is that this guy truly believes he’s bettering a woman’s life. And when she figures out what she’s up to… well, let me repeat myself: the story is about someone who knows exactly what they want, with no morals about how to get it.

Now, some might argue that I’ve already explored this territory in. my 2023 novel, North Paradise. And I have… sort of. I do still love that book. But North Paradise was intentionally heightened. I wanted it to feel very TV drama. That’s the thrill of it. It was always meant to feel like something you’d binge-watch. A little far-fetched, a little glossy, and a lot of fun, but not all that believable in the real world.

The Shopkeeper is something else entirely.

This story was written to feel closer to a true crime documentary than a TV drama. Like it could easily happen on your street or mine. I wanted it to feel uncomfortably real. The kind of story that doesn’t rely on shock for impact, but instead creeps under your skin because that’s where it belongs. It’s supposed to feel like it could actually happen. That realism is what makes it so unsettling, and if I’m being honest, it’s what made the book harder to write (and probably why it’s been in and out of a drawer for nearly three years).

But I wanted to explore what happens when evil isn’t loud or theatrical, waving at you with both hands. But instead, quiet, methodical, and hiding in plain sight. The kind of person you might pass every day without a second glance. That’s what they always say about the real serial killers and psychopaths. So, writing this book meant removing excuses, removing sympathy, and removing the safety net of redemption. This villain doesn’t want saving. He doesn’t believe he’s wrong. He doesn’t believe he’s evil. And sitting with that mindset as a writer was deeply uncomfortable – but also something I felt compelled to confront. And I can’t lie, it was A LOT of fun.

But despite the darkness, The Shopkeeper isn’t a story that glorifies evil. If it was, I’d have never written it. At its core, it’s about good. About resilience. About never giving up, even when faced with something truly horrific. It’s about determination, survival, and the quiet strength of people who refuse to be broken.

And it was also the perfect opportunity to bring back one of my favourite characters, Molly Lewis – who readers of Forbidden Shores will remember as the drunken sister who Sophie Lawson goes on holiday with. Molly being back is basically everything I just said. She’s resilient, she never gives up, and she’s determined in her words ‘to take this sick bastard down no matter what it takes’. It was so much fun to write about Molly again, but don’t worry if you haven’t checked out Forbidden Shores yet – you don’t need to have read it to understand The Shopkeeper (although it’s highly recommended 😉).

So, this novel has been with me for a long time. I wrote it years ago, before a lot of my other books, but I always knew it wasn’t ready to meet the world yet. I needed to grow as a writer before I could release it. Really give myself the confidence to write something which can get under the reader’s skin. And after the overwhelming success of One Step Closer, I feel like now, it finally feels like the right moment.

I won’t lie – I’m nervous about this one. Only because it removed all the boundaries and just went for it. But I’m also incredibly proud of it.

The Shopkeeper will be released on 27th October 2026, with pre-orders starting in the next couple of days. I’ll be posting information regarding that on Instagram, Threads and X when I have more info.

Oh, and it’s ideal Halloween read! 🎃