Payday: A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick for Autumn 2022

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'Full of twists and turns . . . impossible to put down' HELEN FIELDING 'Fearless, stylish, suspenseful and immensely entertaining' LOUISE CANDLISH 'I inhaled it' JESSICA FELLOWES 'Sensational' TONY PARSONS 'An intelligent, thought-provoking story with some great twists' ALLIE REYNOLDS ______________________ Late at the office party, you're chatting to two female colleagues. You've never spoken before, but suddenly you're talking in hushed voices about Jamie, co-partner and 'golden boy' of the firm. About what he does to women. You all agree something must be done. The next day though, you're not so sure. After all, these situations are complicated, easily misinterpreted. Could there be another side to the stories your colleagues told? Was your own story quite as black and white as you claimed? But things have already escalated. And now the police are involved. They're calling Jamie 'the victim', but that's all wrong. Jamie is the guilty one. Isn't he . . . ?

Celia Walden is a British journalist and the author of Payday. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and she is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph. Born and raised in Paris, Celia studied at the University of Cambridge. She and her husband now divide their time between London and L.A. Her second thriller, The Square, will be published in 2023.

With complex female characters spiralling out of control, Payday is tense, full of twists, and impossible to put down -- HELEN FIELDING A satisfyingly nuanced take on the #MeToo novel . . . fearless, stylish, suspenseful and immensely entertaining -- LOUISE CANDLISH Wonderful . . . a fast-paced psychological thriller and a feminist unpicking of the issues that unite and divide women. I adored it -- GILLIAN MCALLISTER Modern, intelligent and totally gripping. Nicole Kidman TV miniseries is written all over it * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH * Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will inhale this in one sitting, as I did -- JESSICA FELLOWES Sensational. Full of twists and turns and ambushes that keep you guessing up until the very last page. PAYDAY is the best book you will read all year about where men and women are right now. -- TONY PARSONS I think every working woman will relate to this story. I was enraged in places and cheering certain characters on, then questioning my own judgement. An intelligent, thought-provoking and highly topical story with some great twists. -- ALLIE REYNOLDS Clever, compelling and chillingly plausible, Payday is a deftly plotted thriller that ratchets up the tension right until the final couldn't-see-it-coming twist. -- ELLERY LLOYD Seductive. Intelligent. Should have a 'must read' advisory on it -- JANE CORRY With assured writing and a deftly-handled plot, Payday is a page turner that will provoke many a debate -- C.J. COOPER Journalist Walden's debut is a cracking feminist revenge thriller that rips along, full of tension and drama. Telling the story from the three women's separate points of view means well-developed characters and acres of room for deception, suspense and a neat twist in the tail * DAILY MAIL * A runaway train ride of a thriller * THE SUN * A brilliant and clever read * CLOSER * A fast-paced story, you'll be hooked from the first line * BELLA * Slick, shrewd and wildly entertaining, Payday is the very definition of a one-sitting read. Nuanced, believable characters drive this dynamite plot to its unexpected end. Prepare to be wrong-footed at every turn! -- CAZ FREAR, the Number One bestselling author of 'Sweet Little Lies' I absolutely loved it. It's unputdownable, a great mystery and a fantastic read -- BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD, international bestselling author The writing and plot draw you in and the female-first perspective packs a punch * BELFAST TELEGRAPH * Topical and timely, this buzzing page-turner will have you on the edge of your seat * THE LADY * Brilliant mystery combined with a morality tale * BEST * The ultimate page-turner! * THE SUN * A mystery that's as thought-provoking as it is compelling. * MAIL ON SUNDAY * Compulsively readable . . . fans of Liz Nugent's Unravelling Oliver will find much to enjoy in a novel that is provocatively complex as it explores the grey areas that exist between right and wrong. * IRISH TIMES * Brilliantly plotted, with twists that will leave you gasping. This is likely to be the most addictive book you'll read all year. -- B.P. WALTER, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE DINNER GUEST