Worst Case Scenario

by Helen FitzGerald

A deliciously dark, unapologetically funny, and nail-bitingly tense psychological thriller by the international bestselling author of The Cry

NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER

***Shortlisted for Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2020***
***Guardian, Telegraph, Herald Scotland AND The Week BOOK OF THE YEAR***
***Sunday Times TOP 40 Crime Novels in the Last 5 Years***

'Shocking, gripping and laugh-out-loud hilarious from the first line to the last. Brilliant' Erin Kelly

'This frenetic novel's strongest assets are its sheer verbal energy and the acerbic views of its heroine, who resembles a female Frankie Boyle' Sunday Times

'The main character is one of the most extraordinary you'll meet between the pages of a book' Ian Rankin

'A scandalously rude comic masterpiece' Daily Telegraph

'Sublime' Guardian

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Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow's worst cases, and her job is on the line. Liam Macdowall was imprisoned for murdering his wife, and he's published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that makes him an unlikely hero - and a poster boy for Men's Rights activists.

Liam is released on licence into Mary's care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam's daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice ... with devastating consequences.

A heart-pounding, relentless and chilling psychological thriller, rich with deliciously dark and unapologetic humour, Worst Case Scenario is also a perceptive, tragic and hugely relevant book by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.

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'Laced with pitch-dark acerbic humour, the classic thriller gets a hell of a twist' Heat

'This darkly, funny, shocking and surprisingly emotional thriller is unlike anything you've ever read before' Fabulous Magazine

'This novel is a funny, agonising account of one good woman's battle with rage, guilt, fear, duty and disaster' Literary Review

'Absolutely compelling company from start to finish in this wonderful, energetic, hard-hitting and deeply funny novel' Big Issue

'Simply stunning. Dark, uncompromising, funny, and almost impossible to put down' Luca Veste

'Outrageous, extremely funny and ultimately devastating' Ambrose Parry

'Dark humour and darker truths permeate a thrilling crime novel that is fabulously transgressive and completely unique ... nobody writes like Helen Fitzgerald' Mark Billingham

'Helen Fitzgerald is one of a kind, and a welcome breath of fresh air in the world of off-beat but achingly relatable crime fiction' SJI Holliday

'A dark, comic masterpiece which manages to be both excruciatingly tense and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time. Great stuff!' Mark Edwards

• ISBN10: 1787821935
• ISBN13: 9781787821934
• Publish Date: 1 October 2019 (first published 16 May 2019)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 23 October 2024
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: F A Thorpe (Publishers) Ltd
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 246
• Language: English

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

Yes Yes Yes YES!! What a dark deliciously wicked and fantastic read! Opening lines bam yes I am laughing and I really should not be! This book had me hooked and I had absolutely no idea where this journey would go. The unknown was just fantastic!

Now I have no idea how it works in a probation office but I can imagine it is not easy with the types of people they have to deal with daily and the behaviour they might encounter, I did not understand the lingo and the acronyms but I did not care, I am and was invested in Mary. She brought the story to life and gave me an insight into the unknown. From what I have heard Fitzgerald has got it spot on!

Oh, Mary tries to do good and just ends up making it a big pickle of a mess! Going through the change, something all women have the delight of looking forward to if they have not already. To the outside world, she is perceived as a mess, a hot sweaty mess. Inside you can see the inner turmoil as everything slowly falls apart and she has not got a clue on how to fix it……well she does……but possibly it is not the right thing she could do.

Mary is fantastic, she does not take any rubbish from anyone and she is completely straight talking! Watching her have the conversations, especially with Holly, Liam’s daughter, was hilarious. Mary just did not care, perfectly flawed and a 100% real is what you get. She likes to slice things so close to the bone and worry about the consequences later….if at all. She has brought a smile to my face albeit she really shouldn’t but I threw caution to the wind and had a cackle and a cringe throughout the story.

I have not read anything by Fitzgerald before but I do have The Cry on my radar. I devoured the writing in front of me and to keep guessing and thinking about Worst Case Scenario even after I had put it down is a testament to the author. It is like she knows how close she can go to shock her audience before turning it around bringing you back to a bit of comfort before shocking you again! It is such an awesome journey to go on because just as things get too dark you do get a light relief.

The way Worst Case Scenario ends I am hoping that there will be a follow-up. I mean I need to know how Mary is and how she is going to deal with all the fallout. Fingers crossed we do soon!