First published 2026
Claire has lost her edge. The serial killer who once dispatched victims with her trusty hammer now finds herself unable to summon the motivation to kill. Even the most annoying people cross her path without consequence. The chatty supermarket shopper lives another day. The dog thief next door remains untouched. Claire needs a spark to reignite her deadly passion. A job at the neighborhood pub seems like the perfect opportunity. Someone has been spiking drinks and creating chaos among the customers. Claire sees her chance to target this troublemaker. But as she begins her investigation, patrons start dying at an alarming rate. The problem is clear: Claire is not doing the killing. Another murderer has invaded her territory. Claire faces an unprecedented challenge. She must track down this competitor while rediscovering her own killer instincts. Armed with her hammer and a growing list of questions, Claire prepares to reclaim her turf in the only way she knows how.
Genres: mystery, crime, adult-fiction, thriller, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, darkly-comedic, fast-paced, gritty, suspenseful, twisted
Tropes: anti-hero, cat-and-mouse, rival-antagonists, unreliable-narrator
Setting: neighborhood pub, supermarket
352 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, murder, violence