How do you fight an invisible enemy? An unputdownable and timely new novel from the Ngaio Marsh-winning author of Remember Me.

From the winner of the Best Crime Novel in the Ngaio Marsh Awards for Crime Fiction, and for Best International Crime Fiction in the Ned Kelly Awards

'An atmospheric and emotional tale of family, mystery and love ... an extraordinarily talented storyteller.' Kelly Rimmer on Remember Me.

Livia Denby is on trial for attempted murder. The jury have a verdict.

Two years earlier, Livia's a probation officer in Yorkshire, her husband Scott a teacher. They've two children, Heidi and Noah. A happy family - until the day Scott's brother Nicky dies, partly due to a slip-up on Scott's part.

Grief and guilt leave Scott searching for a bigger picture. He follows many online experts, but one in particular: 'Dr Jack', an anonymous figure who talks authoritatively about secret euthanasia programmes and the New World Order. As he's funneled deeper into his new beliefs, Scott's grip on reality weakens. Friends drift away, he loses his job. Only Dr Jack remains ever-present, always one step ahead.

When news of Covid-19 grips the world, Dr Jack and his 'Truther' followers insist it's the cover for a global takeover. The New World Order will use lockdown to disappear dissidents and the clinically vulnerable. Caught up in conspiracies, Scott is convinced he must do something drastic to save six-year-old asthmatic Noah from a fate worse than death.

Fourteen-year-old Heidi has watched her dad's disintegration. Now he's asking her to help him do something frightening. But she has her own secrets about the day Nicky died, and is determined not to let her father down again.

As the nation locks down, Scotts disappears with the children. His car is found driven into the North Sea. While the coast guard launch a search, Livia begins her own - a search that reveals that Noah's life is in appalling danger; and which
leads her to Dr Jack himself.

Livia's family has been torn apart, and now her son's life is hanging in the balance. The enemy is anonymous, ever-present, somehow always one step ahead. Its most powerful weapon is her husband's mind. Just how far will she go, to save the ones she loves?

Praise for Charity Norman:

'In Remember Me, Norman deftly weaves together two timelines to create an engrossing, slow-burn mystery that builds to a devastating and unexpected end.' The Weekend Australian

'Raw and insightful...I found it harder and harder to put down.' Good Reading on The Secrets of Strangers

'Striking...a nuanced page-turner addressing the very human realities of ageing parents and family dynamics.' Books + Publishing on Remember Me

'Compelling and moving' The New Zealand Herald on The Secrets of Strangers

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 04/08/2025
ISBN: 9781991006905
Pages: 368
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 1.20d