You Can't Hurt Me - by Emma Cook (Paperback)

About the Book

"Everyone has heard about the case of Eva Reid. Ever since she was born, she's felt no pain: she can get a paper cut, break a limb and even give birth without feeling a single thing. Her story has long captivated the minds of reporters and researchers--including Dr. Nate Reid, Eva's husband and acclaimed scientist, renowned for his work in the Pain Laboratory. Also among them is Anna Tate, a ruthless journalist with a dark past of her own. When Eva is suddenly found dead inside her home, it raises a flurry of questions about the last night of her life--and who might've been involved. Anna finds herself growing increasingly obsessed with Eva's case: her protected, painless existence, her promising career as a psychotherapist, and especially her toxic relationship with the alluring Dr. Reid, whom Eva met and married as his former patient. But what other secrets could they be hiding?"--

Book Synopsis

"An absolutely gripping read... both satisfying and chilling." -Ellery Lloyd, author of the New York Times bestseller The Club

Meet Eva, who can't feel pain, and Anna, who can't escape it.

Everyone has heard about the case of Eva Reid. Ever since she was born, she's felt no pain: she can get a paper cut, break a limb and even give birth without feeling a single thing. Her story has long captivated the minds of reporters and researchers--including Dr. Nate Reid, Eva's husband and acclaimed scientist, renowned for his work in the Pain Laboratory. Also among them is Anna Tate, a ruthless journalist with a dark past of her own.

When Eva is suddenly found dead inside her home, it raises a flurry of questions about the last night of her life--and who might've been involved. Anna finds herself growing increasingly obsessed with Eva's case: her protected, painless existence, her promising career as a psychotherapist, and especially her toxic relationship with the alluring Dr. Reid, whom Eva met and married as his former patient. But what other secrets could they be hiding?

When Dr. Reid embarks on the process of writing a book about Eva, an opportunity arises for Anna to work on it alongside him. As she slowly inserts herself into their home to uncover what's fact and what's fiction, shocking discoveries await her--and not everyone may come out unscathed...

Review Quotes

"Cook keeps readers on their toes in her exhilarating debut... When the reveals finally come, they're richly satisfying. Rarely has the frustration of not knowing who to trust been so much fun." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An elegantly-written novel, this is a compellingly twisty thriller which explores brilliantly the relationship between pain, memory, our bodies and ourselves. An absolutely gripping read which comes together with a neatness that is both satisfying and chilling." --Ellery Lloyd, author of the New York Times bestseller The Club

"An assured debut that is as fresh and exciting as it is dark." --Lisa Ballantyne, bestselling author of Everything She Forgot

"Exploring the ways our closest relationships can destroy us and the dark downside of ambition, Emma Cook's tightly woven thriller You Can't Hurt Me proves that the worst pain isn't caused by physical wounds, but by the emotional harm we inflict on one another." --Tara Laskowski, Agatha Award-winning author of One Night Gone and The Mother Next Door

"An exceptional debut: tense, taut and thrillingly original. Emma Cook writes beautifully." --S.J. Bolton, award-winning author of Awakening

"A slow-burn, atmospheric and literary thriller full of menace and secrets with some killer twists--loved it." --Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chateau

"Original and chilling, You Can't Hurt Me is a captivating psychological thriller told in striking prose. As the pace ratchets, this smartly constructed story draws the reader towards a breathtaking conclusion. An assured, complex, and gripping debut." --Lucy Clarke, internationally bestselling author of One of the Girls

"Readers will enjoy the twists and turns. Recommended for readers who enjoy domestic thrillers by Katherine Faulkner, Sally Hepworth, and Liane Moriarty." --Booklist

"Pages fly by as secrets rise to the surface, and the engrossing premise keeps readers speculating. This debut builds alluring suspense into an exhilarating twist." -Library Journal

"Elegantly written, this is an atmospheric and disturbing thriller." -The Guardian