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Hello!

Thank you for visiting my website.

I am a Young Adult horror/thriller writer from the North-West of England and my new book, KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, is out with Penguin Random House in September 2025.

I have a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors at primary school before graduating to Stephen King in my misguided teens.

Studying for a degree in Art History and Archaeology meant that I developed a thirst for anything old, beautiful and very often dead. I try to combine this with contemporary settings in my writing to make unique and chilling modern stories.

I am married to my best friend and we are ruled by a Romanian rescue dog called Loli.

You can browse my books here.

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WELCOME TO CAMP KILLER, my dyslexia friendly book with @unionsqandco, is out in Canada and the US today 😍 Swipe to see the blurb and to learn more about the EVERYONE CAN BE A READER book collection! Order links in my bio…

When an American-style residential camp is set up in the grounds of an English stately home, the teenage instructors are looking forward to a summer of fun activities. But right from the start, things don’t feel quite right at Camp Miller.

There are rumours of a tragedy that took place in the grounds and unexplained sightings of a ghostly presence. Then the incidents begin—a near-drowning out on the lake, a fatal fall from a cliff-face . . . Are these tragic accidents or is there something more sinister going on at Camp Killer . . . ?

Union Square & Co.’s EVERYONE CAN BE A READER books are expertly written, thoughtfully designed with dyslexia-friendly fonts and paper tones, and carefully formatted to meet readers where they are with engaging stories that encourage reading success across a wide range of age and interest levels.

📬EVENT NEWS📬
I’m so excited to be going back to @waterstonesstneots in February to talk about #SignedSealedDead! Join me with @itsbusayo_xo and @ravenaguron as we talk all things murder…I might even give away a proof copy of #KeepYourFriendsClose 👀 Booking link in my bio!

3 years ago, on my 38th birthday, #WinLoseKillDie was released. It’s the book that changed my life and it has sold over 50,000 copies across the US and UK since. If you’ve bought one of those, thank you ❤️
(I love this photo - it was taken at my first launch party by my friend Emma as I signed a copy of WLKD for her daughter. Emma passed away in 2024, as I was writing KYFC. The American version of SSD is partly dedicated to her ❤️)

Happy New Year! Do you have any goals for 2025?

We started the year warm, cozy & comfortable, and I can’t ask for much more. A snow day was a lovely way to end the holidays and my computer beckons tomorrow…

I can now say #KeepYourFriendsClose officially comes out this year! I’m looking forward to cover reveals, events and writing another book. I’ve set some goals too - I’d like to read more and learn some new skills (one for a future book, one for fun). Tell me your goals - I’m all ears!

I hibernated A LOT in 2024, but looking back I achieved so much even though it didn’t always feel like it. Some highlights included:

⭐️Releasing SIGNED SEALED DEAD (and seeing it in an airport for the first time), writing KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE and signing with Penguin UK.

⭐️Winning LANCASHIRE BOOK OF THE YEAR for the third time running and celebrating a secret thing that I can’t tell you about yet…

⭐️Having my backlist published in Canada and the US and getting to go and see them in person, do some signings and visit my team at Delacorte Press on Broadway.

⭐️Chairing some amazing events for the first time (thank you to those authors for trusting me!) and going on my first ever tour, which I’m still gushing about 🥰 I also got to talk at Cheltenham for the first time which was amazing!

⭐️SSD being named a book of the year at @waterstones @eason_ireland and @indigo as well as being featured in Irish tv with @kidsbooksirel - thank you!

⭐️Announcing my US and UK deals, handing out proofs of KYFC and getting a renewed sense of excitement for my next book (come back next year for that one…)

Thank you to everyone who has bought, read, reviewed or tagged my books. None of this would happen without you ❤️❤️❤️

2025, I’m ready!

2024 was the year I revealed my secrets (not all of them though … see you in 2025😈)

I’ve just been on the radio talking to @lisa.marrey about how brilliant YA is. Here are the books I mentioned that would make great Christmas gifts (and a couple more that I love but I didn’t quite have time for.) Thanks for having me @bbcmerseyside 📚

Writing tips with moi via @house.of.ya 🥰 #KeepYourFriendsClose

❄️🩸That’s a pretty festive stack🩸❄️

If you’re looking for Christmas gifts for reluctant readers, try these. Links in my bio for all of these UK versions - and KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE is available for preorder now!

#WinLoseKillDie debuted in the US and Canada one year ago today and I started leaving hints about #KeepYourFriendsClose on TikTok…did you spot any of them? 👀
Pictured: me on the floor trying to get Loli in shot. She was not one bit bothered. Second pic is my calendar and Morton pennant which features in one of the TikTok videos…

☠️House of YA Thriller (Dream) Tour Part Two: When the Delirium Kicked In ☠️
Brunch at @the_ivy_collection followed by wonderful events in Nottingham, Oswestry and Edinburgh. Thank you all for braving the snow and giving me a week I will cherish forever! Thank you also to @house.of.ya for organising and @authorjenlynnbarnes and @writerkmc for being generous, gracious and great travel companions ♥️

Thats a wrap on the @House of YA thriller tour with @writerkmc and @authorjenlynnbarnes, sponsored by this song, Paul Mescal, The Vampire Diaries and Taylor Swift. WHAT A WEEK 🥰
#KeepYourFriendsClose #booktok #karenmmcmanus #jenniferlynnbarnes #gamesuntold #suchcharmingliars

☠️💎Thriller (Dream) Tour: Part One💎☠️

I’m having the best time hanging out with @writerkmc and @authorjenlynnbarnes - our events at @piccadillywaterstones @waterstonesbristol and @yalc_uk, have been amazing!

Thank you all for being SO GORGEOUS and so excited when you find an early copy of KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE! It’s crazy to actually place proofs into readers hands. There are 75 more copies up for grabs at the next three stops…

Nottingham @waterstonesnotts ➡️ Oswestry @bookabookshop ➡️ Edinburgh @toppingsedin, we’re coming for you!

Welcome back to #MortonAcademy!
#KeepYourFriendsClose is set in 1999 at the school you know from #WinLoseKillDie... and there might even be a familiar character walking the halls. If you’re in the UK you can preorder at the link in my bio NOW!

☠️💎WELCOME BACK TO MORTON ACADEMY💎☠️

UK readers! I am so excited to share that my new book KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE will be publishing with @penguinplatform in September 2025. A dream!

If you are coming along to any of the House of YA Thriller Road Trip events (details in bio) you’ll have the chance to get your hands on a *limited edition* proof!
We are giving away 25 copies at each event and I will be signing them too 🥰

See you on the road!

SURPRISE!

I am THRILLED to be chairing all of @writerkmc and @authorjenlynnbarnes events across the UK in November (apart from @yalc_uk but I will be lurking around The Olympia, I promise). Come and see us in London, Bristol, Nottingham, Oswestry and Edinburgh!
My books will be available and I’ll be signing next to these two superstars, which is WILD. I’d love to see you there, ticket links are on my website or in my bio 🥰

Oh, and if you’ve made it this far, I might have another surprise for you before the tour commences…

Absolutely floored to see this! Thank you so much for including SIGNED SEALED DEAD in your best books of 2024 @indigo 🥰

This is such a nice surprise - thanks for including #SignedSealedDead @waterstones 😍

It’s #DyslexiaAwearenessWeek and I wanted to remind you that @barringtonstoke publish amazing books that are especially written and formatted for dyslexic readers. I’m so proud to have WELCOME TO CAMP KILLER on their list and it will soon be available from @unionsqandco in Canada and the US!

👻🎃💀 It’s no secret that films and podcasts provide a lot of my inspiration. Here are some of my favourites for you to enjoy this October! 💀🎃👻

I’m so excited to be welcoming @ellemcnicollofficial to Manchester on October 23rd!
I’ll be asking Elle all about her new YA romcom SOME LIKE IT COLD at @waterstonesmcr. Tickets at the link on my bio, see you there!

Unboxing my US author copies of #SignedSealedDead with Loli 🐾

Welcome to Shorehaven … SIGNED SEALED DEAD is out with @delacortepress in the US & Canada TODAY and blurbed by the wonderful @writerkmc 🤩

When true-Crime obsessed Paige, along with her family, move across the Atlantic to her father’s eerie hometown, it’s not long before she uncovers the town’s dark history—a string of unsolved murders and disappearances in the 90s.

Soon after, notes start appearing at their home, about the secrets the old house is keeping. The clues lead Paige to a diary concealed in the walls that belonged to one of the missing girls.

Could this be the key to solving a quarter-of-a-century mystery...or will the diary make Paige the next target?

It’s almost #HocusPocus time…and maybe some other stuff is coming too 👻

Toronto ✈️ Nashville ✈️ New York City

What a whirlwind! Thanks so much to Jillian & Evan at PRH for organising my signings and to the bookstores for welcoming me - I had so much fun!

If you’re in any of those cities you can find signed editions of my books at the following stores:

Toronto 📚@indigobayandbloor @indigoeatonctr @indigoyonge.eglinton

Nashville 📚 @parnassusbooks

New York 📚 @booksofwonder @bnunionsqnyc

Yesterday I got to do something I’ve only ever dreamed of and spent the day with my publishers @delacortepress at their office in New York City. I loved meeting all the people who have done so much for me and we discussed our future plans 👀 There are big things coming very, very soon! I even got to visit the gorgeous @booksofwonder and @bnunionsqnyc (the biggest bookshop in NYC!) to do some signing and, if you can’t tell, I was VERY EXCITED the whole time.

Next stop home, where copyedits and Book 7 research beckon…

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