July 1, 2019
The scoop of a lifetime sends an investigative reporter into the stark North African desert in Watt's debut thriller. London Post star journo Casey Benedict goes where others won't to get her story. When she overhears a conversation in a nightclub about a game hunt of a very different kind, she's shocked. Lots of digging leads to a disturbing admission by an American businessman and stories of strange injuries in North African refugee camps as well as a man's apparent suicide after a fateful trip to Morocco. There's no stamp in his passport for Morocco, but there is one for Libya, which Casey and her partner in crime, Miranda Darcey, suspect may be the site for the hunt, but they've got to get there to prove it. Well aware they may be walking into a death trap, Miranda and Casey set out for Libya with Ed Fitzwilliam, a former Marine suffering from PTSD who has history with Casey and has seen more than his share of horrors. Gaining the trust of the man in charge won't be easy, but a bit of blackmail, some sleight of hand, and a whole lot of nerve is all in a day's work for Casey Benedict. Readers will be on tenterhooks as Casey, Miranda, and Ed make their way to their destination in the company of stone-cold killers, where Casey will face an impossible choice. Watt thoroughly mines her journalism creds, bringing the hectic, often dangerous job of an investigative reporter to vivid life, throwing readers right into the middle of the manic inner workings of a bustling broadsheet before setting them loose in a lawless desert wasteland where human life is cheap. The crime at the heart of this tale is nothing short of horrific, and Watt's narrative sparks and crackles with dread, leading brave readers on a harrowing exploration of unthinkable evil and what it means to bear witness. A terrifying and unforgettable journey.
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July 8, 2019
London Post investigative journalist Casey Benedict, the heroine of Watt’s terrifying and timely debut, is at a high-end nightclub stalking a source when she overhears a conversation about a camp where the rich can kill without consequences. Research leads Casey and fellow reporter Miranda Darcey to suspect that someone is leading human safaris at the Salama refugee camp on the Libya-Algeria border. They can’t go to print without proof, though, and their only witness dies before they can question him. With the help of damaged former Royal Marine Ed Fitzgerald, the women conspire to go undercover and join the depraved hunting party, gathering evidence and getting out before anyone catches on; after sequestering themselves in the Sahara with men who paid for the privilege to murder, however, that proves easier said than done. Watt lulls readers with a slow, almost antiseptic start, then plunges them headlong into a white-knuckled, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Visceral storytelling enhances a harrowing plot that continually ratchets up tension while spotlighting the global refugee crisis, debating journalistic ethics, and contemplating the value of an individual life. Watt is off to a strong start. Agent: Andrew Gordon, David Higham (U.K.).
August 1, 2019
Welcome to the wild world of the undercover investigative journalist?not the kind who pores over tax returns but rather the kind who has a network of doormen and bartenders feeding tips, who uses street-smart psychology and false identities to pry into secrets, and who follows targets from country to country to nail down the story. This premise sounds entertaining, though it might not be all that believable were it not for the fact that Watt worked for more than 10 years as an investigative journalist for the Telegraph, and Guardian, and London's Sunday Times newspapers. We have to assume that her heroine, Casey Benedict, star investigative reporter for a fictional paper, learned a lot of her tricks from Watt herself. Reading this thriller as an insider's view into journalism, including the amped-up world of a competitive newsroom run by a pitiless editor, is eye-opening. The plot is propulsive, starting with Watt overhearing a comment that, if true, opens up a gasp-inducing vista of human depravity disguised as sport. The narrative moves from London to Saint-Tropez to Libya, the suspense intensifying with every stop.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)