The Sixth Window

THE PERFECT MAN… OR A PERFECT STRANGER?

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Pub Date 21 Feb 2017 | Archive Date 08 Mar 2022

Description

Rachel Abbott, the UK’s ‘e-publishing sensation’ (Guardian), is back with The Sixth Window – another white-knuckle ride of a thriller, with a beautifully complex plot, and a heart-wrenching moral dilemma at its core. The Sixth Window is poised to smash straight into the bestseller charts, just as Abbott’s previous novels have done.


2.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

UKs NO.1 BESTSELLING INDEPENDENT AUTHOR


In The Sixth Window, a dark, disturbing and addictively intriguing thriller, Abbott once again proves why she is one of the UK’s bestselling thriller writers. Her trademark tense, twisty and complex plot focuses on Natalie Gray and her daughter Scarlett, who are racing to uncover the shocking truth about the one person they thought they knew best.


Eighteen months after Natalie Gray loses her husband Bernie in a horrific hit and run accident, she finds love with his best friend, Ed Cooper, and moves into his home with her teenage daughter Scarlett. But she begins to suspect Ed has a dark side -- and even darker intentions. Natalie must get her troubled child to a safer place, but when Scarlett starts to hear voices coming from the empty apartment next door it seems she has unwittingly moved them into the heart of danger.


DCI Tom Douglas is also chasing the truth. As his investigation into the suicide of a teenage girl draws him ever closer to Natalie and Scarlett, will he be too late to protect them from the threat they face, or from the truths that will tear their lives apart?

Rachel Abbott, the UK’s ‘e-publishing sensation’ (Guardian), is back with The Sixth Window – another white-knuckle ride of a thriller, with a beautifully complex plot, and a heart-wrenching...


Advance Praise


'A PROPERLY ADDICTIVE, LEAVE-THE-LIGHT-ON THRILLER’

Red Magazine


‘THIS FAST PACED THRILLER WILL HAVE YOU RACING THROUGH TO IT’S SHOCKING CONCLUSION’ - Closer


'ALMOST UNBEARABLY TENSE, WITH A KILLER TWIST.’

Good Housekeeping


‘What I loved the most about this book was the plot. There are a few 'curve balls' in this story, which definitely kept me on my toes. I really could not put this down.’ Debra's Book

Crime Fiction Lover‘Prose is taut, wholly believable locations and a full cast bursting with engaging characters.’ -- Books, Reviews, Etc.


‘Ms. Abbott writes complex and yet very believable thrillers and this book was no exception. You will be on the edge of your seat constantly. 5 stars. A very strong thriller.’ -- Crime Book Club

‘The characters are believable and the crimes credible. Contemporary issues, grief and desperation are well handled. The pace is good, the twists credible and it can easily be read as a stand alone. Enjoy.’ Crime Thriller Hound

‘Absorbing, complex and brilliantly planned, I loved this book. 10/10.’ -- Novelicious


‘As in her previous books the crimes are complex, the story-lines interesting and appealing. I was wowed by Kill Me Again on many different levels.’ -- Cleo Loves Books


‘Rachel is such a skilled writer, that you forget everything that is going on around you and concentrate solely on her books. An absolutely brilliant book which left me feeling completely exhausted at the end with a twist right at the very end that I NEVER saw coming at all! -- Kim the Bookworm


‘This book is fantastic. It will take you on a rollercoaster right up to the last page. I loved it and totally recommend it.’ -- NovelKicks


A fast paced, edge of your seat suspenseful read with realistically drawn characters, all wrapped up with excellent writing and a wonderfully twisty and complex plot that slowly reveals more secrets and lies.’ -- My Reading Corner




'A PROPERLY ADDICTIVE, LEAVE-THE-LIGHT-ON THRILLER’

Red Magazine


‘THIS FAST PACED THRILLER WILL HAVE YOU RACING THROUGH TO IT’S SHOCKING CONCLUSION’ ...


Marketing Plan

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We hope that you enjoy the book and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

We'd love reviewers to consider holding reviews until publication. The Sixth Window will be posted on Amazon and GoodReads in February.


Join the conversation:

#SixthWindow


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Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780957652286
PRICE £3.48 (GBP)

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 42 members


Featured Reviews

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a pre release copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

The Sixth Window is the eagerly awaited sixth installment of the popular DCI Tom Douglas series. Having read all the previous novels, I was one of the many who have been waiting for this book to be released.

The story begins with police officer Bernie Gray being killed in a hit and run by a stolen car while out walking his daughter Scarlett's puppy early one morning. We then fast forward 18 months and Bernie's widow, Natalie, and Scarlett have moved on and have started a new life with family friend Ed, who has been in love with Natalie since school. But Natalie finds something on Ed's computer that makes her have second thoughts about their new life. So, Natalie gathers up her things, daughter and all, and moves out of Ed's house into a temporary home in the centre of Manchester, into an apartment that is reputed to be haunted - the previous tenant having reported hearing voices. Meanwhile, we join our intrepid crime fighter DCI Douglas and his partner in crime, Becky Robinson, as they are called to investigate the apparent suicide of 15 year old Jennifer Bale. While it looks like a cut and dried suicide case, Tom and Becky are convinced there is something sinister that lead to the young teen taking her own life. Joining Douglas and Robinson this time out is young detective Keith Sims, who is tasked with looking into the case of Sgt Bernie Gray after the car thief who is accused of his killing is shown to have an alibi and the case is reopened.

Books in this series have never failed to improve on the last one. This is no exception, and it seems there is no end to Ms Abbott's talent. I really did find this book really difficult to put down. The more I read and the more I discovered about the book, the more I wanted to read and find out more. As always, the characters are believable and from start to finish you can empatise and sympathise with them all through whatever trials and tribulations they face throughout the novel. Ok so the year has only just started, but for me it's one of the best books of the year so far. I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series, I think there's so much more that DCI Douglas has to offer us and I hope there's lots more to come.

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I could not wait to get my hands on this new Rachel Abbott book. And let me tell you, once again, she did not disappoint. Rachel Abbott writes the kinds of books I have a hard time putting down. And I would read each and every one of her books over again.
This book, in particular, is a masterpiece. So carefully written with all the necessary details about each individual character folding into the story as the reader needs them to be. The main character, Natalie, loses her husband Bernie, and eighteen months later she is in a relationship and living with his best friend, Ed. Upon finding something on Ed’s computer, Natalie becomes scared for her daughter and moves both her and Scarlett to an apartment in Manchester. There are a few missing pieces to the apartment story since the apartment leasing company calls her and she doesn’t remember calling them. Then Scarlett thinks she hears ghosts next door in the unoccupied apartment while she’s home alone. The story unravels from there and those who seem like they can be trusted can’t be and those who seem who they can’t be trusted can’s be as well.
When DCI Tom Douglas and his partner, DI Becky Robinson, are introduced into the storyline, I nearly started cheering. As fans of Abbott know, this pair has been through thick and thin with each other and are just so likable!
I think one of my favorite things about this book was the ending. Without giving it away, there’s something that lays lingering and unanswered…something that is pointed out but gets passed over on the very last page of the book.
Bravo Rachel Abbott! Five stars (I would give it ten if I could)!

I would like to thank Rachel Abbott, Netgalley, and Black Dot Publishing for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I do love me a little but of DCI Tom Douglas. Who in their right mind doesn't. I will admit to having had a bit of a gap in my reading and to reading the books completely out of order, having missed the last couple as I struggle to make headway with my personal TBR, but then that is nothing unusual for me. But when the opportunity came up to get an advance copy of the The Sixth Window, the latest instalment in Rachel Abbott's DCI Douglas series, well... I just couldn't say no.

This is a really interesting story, high on tension, with a very difficult subject as a backdrop to the main action. We follow the life of Natalie Grey, a widow and mother whose husband Bernie, a police officer, had been killed in a hit and run accident over a year ago. She is now living with his best friend Ed, but discovers something on his laptop that she cannot ignore, something which could put her and her daughter Scarlett in real danger. Natalie thinks she has found them a safe haven in an apartment in the city but when the estate manager is attacked, and Scarlett starts to hear strange noises from within their flat, just how safe are they really?

As Scarlett begins to investigate the apartment block, Tom Douglas is looking into the suicide of a young girl. From a family which follows a strict religious code, her death makes little sense. Her mother will not accept that it is suicide, insisting that her daughter was murdered. The girl's younger brother seems to be keeping a secret and her father is not as blinkered as his wife, but there is something truly troubling in the girls past and Tom needs to find out the truth before anyone else gets hurt.

The two stories intersect in the most troubling of ways, with Tom's team being tasked with investigating the hit and run which killed Natalie's husband after the suspected killers alibi checks out. There was a time when I wondered how the stories could possibly pull together, how a girl looking into a reputedly haunted apartment could possibly have anything to do with the suicide of the other young girl, someone the family had no contact with and what that had to do with the hit and run. But this is the beauty of Rachel Abbott's writing. She has an ability to pull together many seemingly unconnected threads and weave them into a rich tapestry which truly engages the reader. The Sixth Window was no exception.

I really liked the characters in this book. It goes without saying the Tom Douglas and Becky Robinson, both long standing characters from the series are as well written and engaging as ever. We see a little of the playfulness of their relationship as Becky starts to interfere in Tom's personal life, but this is part of the wonder of the pairing and it works perfectly. The supporting characters are well rounded and elicit a range of emotions from incredulity to suspicion to outright shock as I struggled to understand their motivations or their actions. Scarlett is a really strong character seemingly having gained some of her tenacity and resolve from her father. She is curious and brave beyond her years but that bravery leads her into danger creating one of the most heart stopping scenes of the whole story.

As I said at the start, the backdrop to this story is a very difficult one. One of child sexual exploitation and abuse. But just who is responsible is not entirely clear and there is misdirection galore throughout the book as Abbott carefully moves the focus from one character to another. The finger of suspicion even falls to the police at one point, with corruption being cited at the very top of the tree. I can't say I was entirely surprised by the conclusion, I had my suspicions early on which proved correct, but the story was so enthralling and the question marks over certain characters actions so bold that I was willing to be proven wrong. In spite of everything, of suspecting what would come to pass, I still didn't see that ending coming. Not at all.

I love these books and you can hardly ask for a stronger and more competent development of both character and plotting than you get from Rachel Abbott. I am even more determined now to play catch up (thank the world for Audible), and can't wait for the next book in the series. I have loved Tom Douglas since I first read The Back Road, even though at that stage the police investigations were very much secondary to the main story. This book was different, with the Police playing a much greater part in the action and I think I loved it even more because of that. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this will be another stonking great hit for Rachel Abbott.

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This book has your heart racing while holding your breath at the same time. In my opinion it is the best in the series so far and I absolutely can't praise it enough. There are many different aspects to the story and I was desperate to find out how the different characters were connected and what the outcome would be. I obviously have to mention the wonderful DCI Tom Douglas and his second in command DI Becky Robinson, who has been on sick leave due to her being pulled from a murky river in a previous investigation. They work brilliantly as a team even if Becky does seem to over step the mark at times, Tom is still pleased to have her back at work. His plan to ease her gently back into work don't quite go to plan as they find themselves involved in two investigations that require their full attention.

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Rachel Abbott’s thrillers come with a sort of unspoken guarantee that they’ll give a really great read and I can confirm that ‘The Sixth Window’ is no exception. It was a twisty, menacing read that I really loved and didn’t want to end!
All the characters are well developed and believable with DCI Tom Douglas being of particular interest. The exploration of the mother-daughter relationship between Natalie and Scarlett was fascinating and felt authentic.
The plot was complex and shocking at times, revealing a dark underbelly of life that most of us would rather not think about. However, the storyline raises very important issues that need to be talked about.
Overall, this is a pacy, gritty and unpredictable read that kept me guessing. Abbott skilfully steered the narrative to a tense and satisfying ending that had me fearful of what might happen to the characters, Scarlett in particular. Highly recommended!

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I've come to expect excellent books from Rachel Abbott and that's exactly what I got! Dark, twisted, and gripping. She is one of few authors that always manages to surprise me somehow. I never figure everything out until she tells us. A very enjoyable read. I love Tom Douglas! This was a very complex storyline with memorable characters. When's the next one come out?!

Natalie lost her husband to a tragic hit and run eighteen months ago. He left behind her and her daughter, Scarlett. She's found an unexpected comfort in the aftermath of his loss in the arms of his best friend and fellow police officer, Ed. Scarlett loves him and he makes Natalie feel safe and cared for. Soon after they move in with Ed, Natalie finds something alarming on his computer. Not willing to take any chances, she leaves him almost immediately. She would do anything to protect her teenage daughter, despite Scarlett's confusion as to why they left so abruptly. Could there be some explanation to the questionable site, or is the man she's spent months with hiding a dark side?

DCI Tom Douglas is investigating an apparent suicide of a young girl with the help of Becky, who has recently returned to the force after a long medical leave. The young girl's parents insist she wouldn't have killed herself, but they soon learn they didn't know everything about their teenage daughter. A strict religious upbringing may have caused her to rebel and head down a dangerous path. Could someone have pushed her off that building, or did she think it was her only option after someone drove her to want to end her life?

The two stories connect when Tom Douglas finds new evidence about the unsolved death of Natalie's husband, Bernie. A jealous lover, someone who needed to keep Bernie quiet, or a terrible drunken accident? The investigation rips open wounds for Natalie and Scarlett that have barely begun to heal, but the truth must be found... and they may not like it.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Black Dog Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

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