Out of a clear sky - Sally Hinchcliffe

Those overcast dawns are the best, the truest light. There's no false colour, no shadows or glare. People talk about the cold, hard light of day. There's no espcaing what you can see by it. There can be no confusing, in that early morning light, the truth with the wished-for reality of dreams. The body was still there. He was still dead.

After her long-term relationship ends, Manda finds solace in bird-watching - a hobby her ex introduced her to and which she has embraced for its quiet beauty. The birds provide Manda with an escape from her loneliness, especially as she seems to be losing her group of close friends along with her boyfriend.

But then she falls prey to the ever more sinister attentions of another birdwatcher. As the harassment builds up, she is forced to flee; and details of her own complicated past start to emerge.

Out of a Clear Sky is an unsettling psychological thriller about obsession and truth, with the edginess of Nicci French and the class of Barbara Vine, and introduces a fascinating, compelling and freshly original voice to crime fiction.