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The Exes
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The Exes

By: Leodora Darlington
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Unbearably tense and unmissably twisty, this is the outstanding debut suspense novel from the most exciting new voice in thriller writing, Leodora Darlington
Natalie chose James carefully, because he's different from all the men she'd loved before. Calm. Competent. Kind.

And there are three very good reasons she needs to be so careful. Their names are Marc, Luca and George.

Natalie prefers not to think about what they did to her. Let alone what she had to do to them.

Except now, on a night they are meant to be celebrating how happy they are together, Natalie and James are lying in separate bedrooms. She is asking herself how she could have been foolish enough to let yet another man hurt her like this.

Slowly, Natalie realises she’s already holding a knife.

But she's not going to do anything with it. She’s not.

Not again.

'An excellent read - entertaining, intriguing and exciting. Bravo!' LIZ NUGENT
'Set to be a breakout thriller big name with plot that constantly wrong-foots you’ STYLIST

Includes an author letter, read by Leodora Darlington.

© Leodora Darlington 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Family Life Genre Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

An excellent read - entertaining, intriguing and exciting. Bravo! (Liz Nugent)
This is the book I’ve been hungry for. Sharp and smart, The Exes grips with a well orchestrated story, while exploring deeper themes with a deft hand and underlying humour.
Beautifully written, and full of unexpected twists and turns, The Exes is a cathartic book for anyone with a terrible ex, with profound things to say about family and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love (Tasha Coryell)
The Exes explodes out the gate and never lets up, delivering twist after shocking twist right up until its deeply affecting end. A razor-sharp debut about the secrets we keep even from ourselves (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines)
A real wild, rollercoaster read. Such a great premise, executed brilliantly. Beautiful writing and great pacing. People often talk about ‘shocking twists’, but this thriller truly delivers – literal jaw drop! I absolutely loved it! (Shalini Boland)
Twisting and unexpected, Leodora Darlington is set to be a breakout thriller big name with a plot that constantly wrong-foots you.
I rarely get so excited by a book that I want to shout out loudly about it non-stop, but this one absolutely captured me from the off ... A tremendous read always leaves a happy afterglow for a few days. The Exes has left a burning fire as I still find myself still musing over the characters and such a clever plot. Readers will be completely satiated by this terrific read. (Carol Wyer)
An exquisitely written wild ride of a story full of complex characters, taut suspense and plot twists you won’t see coming (Jessica George, internationally bestselling author of Maame)
A brilliant and exciting new voice in thriller world. Deft, tense, and deliciously twisty. More, please, Ms Darlington, and soon (Anna Mazzola, bestselling author of The Clockwork Girl)
A twisty and addictive read, sprinkled with exceptional writing and psychological insights. Darlington's descriptions of Natalie as a trauma-scarred child are original and heartbreaking. There's hotness and mess but also nuance and sensitivity. Plus a cracking, layered plot. 2026 is going to be Ex-Obsessed (Jo Leevers, author of Radio 2 Book Club pick Tell Me How This Ends)
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