The Drowning Lesson cover art

The Drowning Lesson

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Drowning Lesson

By: Jane Shemilt
Narrated by: Deryn Edwards
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

'It's our son, Sam... someone took him. Please help us'

Emma hoped that she and her family would return from their year abroad closer, with memories to last a lifetime.

Instead, they returned minus one child.

A year on, Emma is haunted by the image of an empty cot, and feels further than ever from her husband.

Is their son still out there somewhere? Will the mystery about what happened that night ever be unravelled?

And, if the truth does come to light, will Emma's family be healed - or wrenched even further apart?

A chilling, gripping thriller from the author of the stunning Richard and Judy Book Club bestseller Daughter

Crime Thrillers Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Emotionally Gripping

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Woman on the Bridge cover art
The Ex cover art
The Engagement cover art
Blind cover art
Hope Farm cover art
What She Left Behind cover art
Little Rumours cover art
You Are Invited cover art
Find Me cover art
Summer of Secrets cover art
In Her Wake cover art
Lie With Me cover art
The Stolen Child cover art
The Long Gaze Back cover art
The Lies We Tell cover art

Critic reviews

A dark twisty tale
Gripping tale
A gripping read about a family whose hopeful adventure turns into a nightmare
Suspenseful, brooding, and with touches of witchcraft - it makes for a perfect blend of horror and thriller
Shemilt specialises in the fictionalisation of parental nightmares . . . well written, taut and tense (Wendy Holden)
I enjoyed this book from the first page . . . this book comes with a very enthusiastic recommendation . . . The story is all encompassing and I felt itchy with anticipation as I savoured every page
The parent's despair is so brilliantly written, you feel every stab of grief. The thrilling ending does not disappoint. A must-read!
Praise for Daughter
Utterly gripping. A tautly coiled spring of suspicion and suspense which builds to a devastating ending
Taut and thought-provoking
All stars
Most relevant
Great story and excellently read. I would very much recommend this audio book to anyone who likes a little mystery & emotion.

Great!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book is full of interest from start to finish. The medical and Africa interests are well written. I loved this book and the narrator.

great reading from start to finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

It was good to hear a story that was set (mostly) in another country; I learnt so much and the story was gripping to the end!

A nice change

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

As a working mum this made me feel rather guilt ridden. The ending was really far fetched. Depressing and dysfunctional.

Depressing and far fetched

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

His was an amazing book, well written, well red and very gripping. You are there with the protagonist; the suspicions are yours too. The narration is first class too. Highly recommend the book and the author too

An amazing book. Have not read one so gripping I n a long time!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews