THE HOAX
A BRAND-NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
WRITTEN BY PEEP SHOW’S PAUL CLAYTON
TO BE PUBLISHED ON 1 APRIL 2021
You can choose your friends…..but what happens when your friends choose you?
The Hoax is the second thriller from actor, director and novelist Paul Clayton (best known for his appearances as ‘Ian Chapman’ in five series of the award-winning Channel 4 comedy Peep Show and as ‘Graham’ in two series of the BAFTA winning comedy Him and Her, and the Torchwood audio adventures from Big Finish Productions.) Funny, terrifying and a real page-turner, The Hoax puts a whole new slant on psychological thrillers, and will be published by 2QT Books on 1 April 2021, available to purchase as an e-book and paperback via Amazon, and all online bookstores. It is currently available to pre-order here.
Meet Frankie Baxter. She’s trying to make ends meet and keep the boat afloat for her three kids. She’s harassed, sometimes impatient, but she’s a fabulous mum. So imagine her distress when Henry, her youngest child, goes missing…
Henry returns safely accompanied by a stranger, Cora, a fairy godmother who starts to change the Baxter family’s lives in the best of ways. So why do things suddenly start going wrong? Is Cora fulfilling their dreams – or is she the start of a nightmare?
Clayton’s first novel, The Punishment, was published in 2019 and has garnered huge critical acclaim from readers:
“I LOVED this book. It’s funny, dark, sexy and sharp as a knife. A brilliant story with three intricately woven strands that keep you hooked all the way through. Definitely recommend!”
“A fast-paced page turner full of twists & turns, wit & theatricality”
Clayton’s other credits include Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Holby City as well as This is Alan Partridge, Doctor Who, The Crown, Vera, Wolf. He is a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His previous books are So You Want to Be A Corporate Actor? and The Working Actor and he is a regular columnist in The Stage. He is also a proud patron of Grimm and Co, the children’s literacy charity, based in his hometown of Rotherham.
Paul Clayton said, “Stories are so important to all of us, and have been really key during the strange times we find ourselves in. All I want to do is to keep people turning the pages.”