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Crusher
Crusher
Jan 16, 2026 12:06 AM

Author:Niall Leonard

Crusher

The day Finn Maguire discovers his father bludgeoned to death in a pool of blood, his dreary life is turned upside down. Prime suspect in the murder, Finn must race against time to clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him.

Trawling the sordid, brutal London underworld for answers, Finn exposes dark family secrets and faces danger at every turn. But he's about to learn that it's the people you trust who can hit you the hardest...

'A fast-paced thriller with real heart’

Simon Kernick

Reviews

This thriller travels at a gripping pace

—— Publishers Weekly

There are some fantastic action scenes, including a truly great escape and a visceral fight... The plot is cleverly worked-through with all sorts of twists and turns and paced for breathlessness and page-turning

—— The Bookbag

I was addicted to this from the first chapter... The storyline is compelling, peppered with so many twists and turns that you will question everything, and has an amazingly explosive ending that you will not be expecting. Crusher is a fabulous debut from Niall Leonard that is definitely not to be missed!

—— Fiction Fascination

I'd defy anyone not to well up when he cries: "Why do I have to be so ugly, Mommy?", and as for the climax, it wreaks emotional havoc. There is a message running through the book, most clearly voiced by an inspirational teacher, that if we were all a little kinder to one another the benefit would be incalculable. To finish it with a firm resolve to be a better person - well, you can't ask much more of any book than that

—— Independent

Tremendously uplifting and a novel of all-too-rare power

—— Sunday Express

If you read one book this year, make it this one... a funny, emotional, brilliantly observed story... We loved it

—— Bella

For anyone who has ever worried about their child's vulnerabilities, Wonder will strike at your heart

—— Daily Telegraph

In its assured simplicity and boldness (reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird), it also has the power to move hearts and change minds

—— Guardian

When the kids have finished with this, the adults will want to read it

—— Financial Times

What a gem of a story. Moving and heart-warming. This book made me laugh, made me angry, made me cry

—— Malorie Blackman

The recent death of Iain Banks left a gaping hole in contemporary literature, but nowhere was the loss felt more than in his native Scotland. Banks took ordinary situations and rendered them extraordinary; a talent that fellow Scot Sue Peebles, whose first novel won both the Scottish and Saltire book awards, shares in spades… The "sacred geometry" of ageing and the timeless measuring out of love are what sustain this subtle, beautiful book.

—— Catherine Taylor , Guardian

Deeply humane tale of memory, loss and the struggle to understand a family’s past… It’s a novel of generous warmth

—— Ben Felsenburg , Metro Herald

A beautiful, brilliant novel destined to cement Sue's place as one of the leading lights of the Scottish literary scene

—— Waterstones

Peebles' keen eye for social observation adds a comic touch to the narrative, expertly showing how black humour is used in bleak times.

—— Rowena McIntosh , The Skinny

Peebles writes poetic prose, capturing Aggie's imaginative character and her need to find meaning in the puzzle of circumstances she finds herself in. The insight into dementia and its impact upon a family is poignant, with Aggie desperate to recapture the history of a beloved Gran who is disappearing in front of her eyes. The novel strongly evokes the Scottish countryside, its link to the past and the secrets it keeps. The story may be a slow burner, but keep going because its gentle pace builds up to a satisfying conclusion

—— Penny Batchelor , We Love This Book
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