The Escape

A Chilling, Gripping Winter Thriller And Richard & Judy Book Club Pick

By: Ruth Kelly

Narrated by: Meg Travers, Olivia Vinall, Ayesha Antoine, Daphne Kouma

'Dark, chilling, atmospheric . . . The Escape is this winter’s The Hunting Party' – Veronica Henry

From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Escape is an electrifying thriller of influencers, secrets and lies set in a grand mansion in rural France. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pearse.

The Perfect Offer

When struggling influencer couple Adele and Jack post a crowdfunding video online, they’re amazed when a mysterious benefactor offers to buy them a crumbling French chateau. It’s the lifeline they need to leave all their troubles behind.

The Perfect Dream

For Adele, it’s a dream come true. She will post videos of the renovation as thousands of online subscribers follow their journey. But the chateau is not all it seems and the local community is far from welcoming.

The Perfect Nightmare

Then Adele’s videos suddenly stop. Her sister Erin visits to make sure she’s OK, but the couple have vanished. Between the obsession of Adele’s fans and the claustrophobic secrecy of the nearby town, Erin must unravel the shocking truth behind the couple’s disappearance . . .

'A deliciously dark look at the world of influencers set against the backdrop of a glamorous French chateau - tense and shocking' – Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet

Critic reviews

Dark, immersive, and tantalisingly atmospheric, The Escape is wholly absorbing and completely addictive (Andrea Mara, Sunday Times bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing)

The French countryside is well drawn and the structure of the book has a zippy contemporary feel. An original and fun read

I was gripped by the unravelling of the dark secrets in The Escape (Louise Jensen, bestselling author of The Date)

Dark, chilling, atmospheric and page-turning, The Escape is this winter’s ‘The Hunting Party’. Ruth has her finger on the (racing) pulse of contemporary thrillers, and has delivered yet another winner that reflects the zeitgeist of our somewhat twisted social media-driven age (Veronica Henry)

Devastatingly dark, I couldn't stop turning the pages (Nikki Smith, author of The Beach Party)

A beautifully paced and darkly twisted thriller. It’s like being in a deliciously crafted nightmare (Katy Brent, author of How To Kill Men and Get Away With It)

A deliciously dark look at the world of influencers set against the backdrop of a glamorous French chateau - tense and shocking (Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet)

A chilling tale of a lost sister and a mystery benefactor overflowing with tension ramped up through gorgeous, atmospheric writing and epic twists. The perfect read for dark, cosy nights Loved it (Lucy Baker, author of The Other Side of Mrs Wood)

A slick, dark and chilling thriller, the tension dripped off the pages until the shocking reveal. I was on tenterhooks all the way! (A.A. Chaudhuri)

A deliciously addictive thriller that will hook you in like the best – and scariest – reality TV show you’ve ever seen (T. M. Logan, author of The Holiday and The Mother, on The Villa)

A Pacy page-turner

A terrific page-turning thriller for dark winter nights (B.P. Walter)

An electrifying thriller of influencers, secrets and lies set in a grand mansion in rural France

A deliciously dark and contemporary thriller that sets the more twisted side of social media alight with tension and suspense

The Escape is a dark, atmospheric and menacing thriller that makes the most of its wintry French setting. You’ll really feel the chills with this one

Gripping

A clever look at the truth behind the facade when it comes to the world of being an influencer, and a real page-turner

The grossness of the plotline

If you like sex parties and torture then I suppose you’ll like this. But I wish I had known. I’d never have purchased

Excellent

This is a thoroughly engaging, entertaining audiobook.
The characters are interesting and developed completely.
The story grabs on and doesn’t let you go from the first chapter.
The narration is extraordinary and the ending is well thought out and satisfying on every level.
I highly recommend this one.
This is a true mystery, full of suspense and paced perfectly.
Yes.

Best Audiobook 2023

This is the best audio book I’ve listened to this year. Not only was the story gripping, full of unexpected twists, beautiful location, wonderfully described but the audio performance was a delight to listen to. I recommend this to everyone!