A Bird in Winter
Faber & Faber UK Ltd published A Bird in Winter on 31st August 2023, the paperback is out now.
Buy it here.
‘In many ways this book is even better than Doughty’s brilliant runaway best-seller Apple Tree Yard. It’s more psychologically acute, with more complex characters at its centre and a thoroughly original storyline that asks penetrating questions about life itself….she makes us wait as we learn Bird’s backstory. But she keeps us gripped with her wonderful descriptions of landscape and the careful exposition of Bird’s character as she moves fearfully from country to country. The wait is more than worth it. A fantastic ending and a terrific read.’
– The Daily Mail
‘The ‘hunted woman’ narrative is certainly pacey, but A Bird in Winter is also a compelling study of trust, and the contradictory desire both to escape and to be found.’
– The Guardian
‘Louise Doughty’s ability to create complex, often flawed protagonists who retain our sympathy is one of her hallmarks… expertly structured, Doughty employs just enough detail to create a vivid sense of place as we follow Heather on her flight… the insights Doughty gives us into Heather’s inner life and vulnerabilities ensure we remain invested in her fate… It’s Doughty’s skill at shifting between these different registers and interweaving them with compelling passages of action, that makes her such a consummate writer of psychological thrillers.’
– Financial Times
‘Doughty’s writing is fluid and tense, every page humming with imminent danger…[her] skill in stringing out a tense, well-plotted story had me reading late into the night to find out what happened…Sink into that sofa and buckle in for the ride.’
– inews
‘Tense and propulsive, with some very clever tradecraft that will delight espionage junkies – it’s also a clear-eyed portrait of a complex and unusual character.’
– The Bookseller
‘Louise Doughty has done it again… A Bird in Winter explores the horror of being followed, but it also taps into universal fantasies of what it would be like to drop everything and go on the run, taking on different personae and relying on survival skills gleaned from scouts’ manuals and spymasters’ training. While Bird’s primary sensation might be dread, for the reader the story is great fun… It’s simply pleasurable to read a writer who has found her groove and produces smart, riveting and (seemingly) effortless entertainment.’
– The Observer
‘This taut and atmospheric story had me hooked.’
– Prima
‘Intriguing… slow burning thriller… The remote landscape is beautifully described and provides the perfect backdrop for Heather’s isolation as she battle’s to discover who is in hot pursuit before it is too late.’
– The Sunday Express
‘A gripping spy narrative.’
– Marie Claire
‘Engaging, suspenseful and affecting.’
– My Weekly
‘Louise Doughty’s tenth novel is an unconventional spy story – which makes it hard to talk about without giving away its twists and turns. What can be said is that A Bird in Winter is a real page-turner, propelled by the bestselling author’s trademark tension-building, with a few laughs along the way.’
– Radio Times