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Sixteen Horses

A BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club Pick

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About this listen

** FEATURED ON BBC TWO'S BETWEEN THE COVERS **

'Unlike anything else you'll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible' - Val McDermid, author of Still Life

'Totally gripping from start to finish' - Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient

'Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting' - Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown

Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses’ heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson and mutilations – all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself.

In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries – no matter the cost.

Sixteen Horses is the debut literary thriller from an extraordinary talent, Greg Buchanan. A story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind . . .

 Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedural Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Scary Winter

Critic reviews

Unlike anything else you’ll read this year, Sixteen Horses is a deeply disconcerting ride. Irresistible (Val McDermid)
Dark, visceral and disturbing, this highly suspenseful and beautifully written thriller is totally gripping from start to finish. A hugely impressive debut (Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient)
Original, beautifully written, terrifying and haunting. I won't forget this novel (Sophie Hannah, author of Haven't They Grown)
A breath-taking debut . . . written with immense panache. This is crime writing of a striking calibre, which constantly surprises as it takes unexpected twist after twist — leaving you desperate for more
Utterly gripping, exquisitely written [. . .] Haunting and very dark, this is certainly worth the read
Sometimes you come across a work of fiction so staggeringly good, it’s almost impossible to find words that can do justice to its brilliance and adequately describe how it made you feel. In the end, all that needs to be said is this: read it, read it, read it (B. P. Walter, author of The Dinner Guest)
Compelling . . . The corkscrew twists leave you begging for more
Utterly brilliant. Poetry and cinema at once. If this isn’t one of the biggest titles of 2021 I’ll eat my hat (CJ Cooke, author of The Nesting)
Poignant, chilling, eerie, and gruesome, Sixteen Horses is a thriller with a literary soul, perfect for fans of Netflix's Dark or BBC's Top of the Lake. Buchanan impressively balances horror and empathy, showing real evil while also exploring the human cost of economic collapse. A unique, ambitious debut that left me shocked and enthralled (Sara Sligar, author of Take Me Apart)
A dark, ambitious, and highly intelligent thriller . . . This complex, often gothic tale is definitely an eye-opener
All stars
Most relevant
A richly-textured rendition of broken people and places, which really draws you into its dark melancholy. It feels like a real depiction of mental health and some of life's struggles. The fractured relationship moments between Alec and his wife come to mind immediately as poignant and sad, and beautifully observed.

I like the filmic scenes, which are sometimes short, sometimes longer, but which always make you feel like you're in the hands of a writer who knows how to plot for maximum thematic impact. I feel no detail is wasted to reinforce the themes.

I enjoyed the actress' performance, which brings its own layer of low-key melancholy, and I liked that their accent seemed to fit the area in which the story is set.

Bleak and beautiful

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I did like this book but it was very drawn out and at times a bit strange, that being said the ending makes up for the slower parts and boring bits. I would have given the story more stars if wasn’t for the pointless chapters that didn’t really add to the story or tension. I switched between the actual book and the audio version, the writing structure is fabulous in the book and it carries will into the audio version and narrator is well suited to the darker slow burning tone of the book.

Strange and drawn out

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I don’t know whether it was the story or the narrator but I found it really difficult to concentrate on the story. Most of the time I was just confused and didn’t know what was going on.

Didn’t enjoy this

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Well written and the narrator was very good. Very hard going at times and sometimes disturbing, but a book I will always remember not sure if that is a good thing or not.
It would make a very good film.

Memorable

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None the wiser who did what to whom and why. Weird, depressing. Struggled to finish it.

Not a clue

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