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The Quiet Girls
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26The explosive new thriller from the Queen of the Big Reveal, steeped in betrayal and lies, danger and secrets
When MJ Hudson, an old work acquaintance, shows up at Dr Kez Lanyon's house in the middle of the night, Kez knows she has no choice but to help.
At the prestigious boarding school that MJ's daughter attends, a teacher has been killed and a pupil is missing. And it seems that the same thing happens every few years. Only this time, the school haven't been able to cover things up and MJ's daughter and her group of nice, quiet friends are right at the heart of the scandal.
Undercover as the new school therapist, Kez quickly realises there are some seriously powerful, well-connected forces at play. And by continuing to investigate the mystery, perhaps even stepping outside the law to do so, Kez risks putting her own family in serious danger.
Because no one wants their secrets aired. And some will go to any length to keep them buried.
When MJ Hudson, an old work acquaintance, shows up at Dr Kez Lanyon's house in the middle of the night, Kez knows she has no choice but to help.
At the prestigious boarding school that MJ's daughter attends, a teacher has been killed and a pupil is missing. And it seems that the same thing happens every few years. Only this time, the school haven't been able to cover things up and MJ's daughter and her group of nice, quiet friends are right at the heart of the scandal.
Undercover as the new school therapist, Kez quickly realises there are some seriously powerful, well-connected forces at play. And by continuing to investigate the mystery, perhaps even stepping outside the law to do so, Kez risks putting her own family in serious danger.
Because no one wants their secrets aired. And some will go to any length to keep them buried.
432 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
253 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Koomson
50 books3,278 followersHello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 rounded up
Dr Kez Lanyon #3(?) a profiler with Insight, attached to the Intelligence Services.
One night MJ Hudson turns up at the home or Dr Kez Lanyon, the two are old work colleagues in the intelligence services but not necessarily friends. MJ appeals for Kez’s help in working out the truth about a teacher’s death at Axton Manor, her daughter’s school. The teacher has been the school therapist and in addition, on the same day he dies a pupil goes missing which is a bit too much of a coincidence. Further discussion between the pair reveals that the same thing has happened before, only this time it seems there will be no cover-up and MJ’s daughter and her quiet girl friends lie at the heart of the scandal. After some persuasion, Kez goes undercover as the new school therapist in order to investigate the mystery but which may potentially put herself at risk and also her family. What lurks at the heart of this that has to stay so ruthlessly buried?
I really enjoy being back with familiar characters in Kez and her husband Jeb. Both are very likeable, their relationship is certainly interesting and positively sizzles at times. They are a team and whilst they have their ups and downs, they have each other’s backs. I thoroughly enjoy the pair of them “destroying “a parent at their children’s school who wants to turn the clock back, highly entertaining!
The novel explores good themes such as elitism and the connections therein, power, friendship, family, race, and bullying to name but a few, as well as the obvious demands of Kez’s job and the toll on her family life. The plot is steady and well paced, there are plenty of twists and shocks in store, it’s tense and there’s a strong sense of claustrophobia. The setting in this school of privilege is good, it’s atmospheric although not always a good one with a number of characters to heartily dislike and pin suspicions on.
However, possibly inevitably it does feel a bit YA at times, it gets somewhat convoluted and I don’t totally buy into the ending.
On the whole though, it’s enjoyable and I look forward to seeing what Kez gets up to next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Dr Kez Lanyon #3(?) a profiler with Insight, attached to the Intelligence Services.
One night MJ Hudson turns up at the home or Dr Kez Lanyon, the two are old work colleagues in the intelligence services but not necessarily friends. MJ appeals for Kez’s help in working out the truth about a teacher’s death at Axton Manor, her daughter’s school. The teacher has been the school therapist and in addition, on the same day he dies a pupil goes missing which is a bit too much of a coincidence. Further discussion between the pair reveals that the same thing has happened before, only this time it seems there will be no cover-up and MJ’s daughter and her quiet girl friends lie at the heart of the scandal. After some persuasion, Kez goes undercover as the new school therapist in order to investigate the mystery but which may potentially put herself at risk and also her family. What lurks at the heart of this that has to stay so ruthlessly buried?
I really enjoy being back with familiar characters in Kez and her husband Jeb. Both are very likeable, their relationship is certainly interesting and positively sizzles at times. They are a team and whilst they have their ups and downs, they have each other’s backs. I thoroughly enjoy the pair of them “destroying “a parent at their children’s school who wants to turn the clock back, highly entertaining!
The novel explores good themes such as elitism and the connections therein, power, friendship, family, race, and bullying to name but a few, as well as the obvious demands of Kez’s job and the toll on her family life. The plot is steady and well paced, there are plenty of twists and shocks in store, it’s tense and there’s a strong sense of claustrophobia. The setting in this school of privilege is good, it’s atmospheric although not always a good one with a number of characters to heartily dislike and pin suspicions on.
However, possibly inevitably it does feel a bit YA at times, it gets somewhat convoluted and I don’t totally buy into the ending.
On the whole though, it’s enjoyable and I look forward to seeing what Kez gets up to next.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not just white privilege but class privilege come to the fore in the latest Dorothy Koomson book featuring therapist and profiler for British Intellegence, Dr Kez Lanyon. At an old colleague's request, she leaves her family to take a temporary post at an exclusive girls' school where her predecessor has apparently committed suicide and a girl has gone missing. It's not the first time this happened - the school has a much higher than usual ratio of suicides, fatal accidents and runaways. Yet the police don't seem concerned. Kez needs to find out what is going on.
Meanwhile her personal life is becoming ever more complicated.
This was a roller-coaster of a thriller with twists and turns on every page. We soon learn of the existence of secret societies within the school which have spilt out into life in the adult world. This school has so many secrets to keep, but Kez has no-one to trust with her theories except the man whose charms she is desperately trying to resist.
Told from the viewpoint of Kez, Jeb her husband, and the latest missing girl, Fredi's voicenotes, the plot becomes ever more menacing with every small reveal. As do the residents of the school - it's like being in a thriller version of The Secret History, where everyone is guilty of something, and is prepared to stop at nothing to keep dark secrets hidden.
I really enjoyed this story for its creeping air of menace. One one level, the plot is implausible - though who really knows what goes on behind closed doors of elite establishments in real life, too? But the characters are good, the action pacy and the resolution satisfying.
A great thriller to curl up with on a wet and windy night.
Meanwhile her personal life is becoming ever more complicated.
This was a roller-coaster of a thriller with twists and turns on every page. We soon learn of the existence of secret societies within the school which have spilt out into life in the adult world. This school has so many secrets to keep, but Kez has no-one to trust with her theories except the man whose charms she is desperately trying to resist.
Told from the viewpoint of Kez, Jeb her husband, and the latest missing girl, Fredi's voicenotes, the plot becomes ever more menacing with every small reveal. As do the residents of the school - it's like being in a thriller version of The Secret History, where everyone is guilty of something, and is prepared to stop at nothing to keep dark secrets hidden.
I really enjoyed this story for its creeping air of menace. One one level, the plot is implausible - though who really knows what goes on behind closed doors of elite establishments in real life, too? But the characters are good, the action pacy and the resolution satisfying.
A great thriller to curl up with on a wet and windy night.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the third book in the series of mystery thrillers featuring Dr Kez Lanyon and the attractive but taboo Dr Guy MacKenzie: Their sexual tension bubbling throughout as the two work together to uncover a history of deaths and disappearances from the prestigious and exclusive school for girls – Axton Manor.
The plot opens when an old colleague, M.J. Hudson, asks Kez for help. Despite there being no love lost between the two, she believes her daughter Viola may have something to do with the recent disappearance of Winifred and the death of a Dr Pemberton.
Posing undercover as a therapist, Kez enters the dark and sinister world where privilege and old money rule. There are two groups equally foreboding. The Platinums and The Quiet girls whose anonymity ensures that no one, not even teachers, can be trusted.
Koomson once again hits the ball out of the park in this smash. Told from the perspectives of Winifred and Kez we have two timelines which work to drive the plot forward while developing the characters. There is no doubt that Koomson can tell a story ensuring that there are strength and vulnerability in her female depictions. I have followed her body of work over the years and am totally blown away with every publication.
For those who are not familiar with this series. It works well as a stand-alone too.
Thank you Net Galley, Headline and Dorothy Koomson for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.
The plot opens when an old colleague, M.J. Hudson, asks Kez for help. Despite there being no love lost between the two, she believes her daughter Viola may have something to do with the recent disappearance of Winifred and the death of a Dr Pemberton.
Posing undercover as a therapist, Kez enters the dark and sinister world where privilege and old money rule. There are two groups equally foreboding. The Platinums and The Quiet girls whose anonymity ensures that no one, not even teachers, can be trusted.
Koomson once again hits the ball out of the park in this smash. Told from the perspectives of Winifred and Kez we have two timelines which work to drive the plot forward while developing the characters. There is no doubt that Koomson can tell a story ensuring that there are strength and vulnerability in her female depictions. I have followed her body of work over the years and am totally blown away with every publication.
For those who are not familiar with this series. It works well as a stand-alone too.
Thank you Net Galley, Headline and Dorothy Koomson for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication.
January 27, 2026
Review of ‘The Quiet Girls’ by Dorothy Koomson, due to be published on 12 March 2026 by Headline.
Welcome back to the world of Dr Kez Lanyon - this time tasked by an old work friend MJ Hudson to investigate the death of a teacher and the mysterious disappearance of a girl, especially as the Police have closed the case citing accidental death and that the girl has simply run away, unable to cope with the pressures of being at such a prestigious school.
Dark secrets lie in the corridors of the school, and many of the characters appear to not be who they say they are….and just who are The Quiet Girls and who are The Platinum?
This is a gripping, intense psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner, nothing is as it seems. Characters are well developed and well described, you soon get a feel of who you like the least! Although it features characters from two previous books, this can be read as a standalone as backstory is referenced to give you enough information to know who is who.
I was delighted to be able to read and review Dorothy’s latest book ahead of release as a long time fan and one of the first authors that I can credit with getting me into psychological thrillers, her books never fail to surprise and delight me. Highly recommended read.
Welcome back to the world of Dr Kez Lanyon - this time tasked by an old work friend MJ Hudson to investigate the death of a teacher and the mysterious disappearance of a girl, especially as the Police have closed the case citing accidental death and that the girl has simply run away, unable to cope with the pressures of being at such a prestigious school.
Dark secrets lie in the corridors of the school, and many of the characters appear to not be who they say they are….and just who are The Quiet Girls and who are The Platinum?
This is a gripping, intense psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner, nothing is as it seems. Characters are well developed and well described, you soon get a feel of who you like the least! Although it features characters from two previous books, this can be read as a standalone as backstory is referenced to give you enough information to know who is who.
I was delighted to be able to read and review Dorothy’s latest book ahead of release as a long time fan and one of the first authors that I can credit with getting me into psychological thrillers, her books never fail to surprise and delight me. Highly recommended read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Was absolutely thrilled to get approved for this book and rightly so. While this is a part of a series, it works brilliantly well as a standalone as the book gives the readers good context.
I loved the characters, their backstories and relationships with each other. The female lead is extremely strong and I love how she stands up for herself and her loved ones. This is told in multiple perspectives and timelines. It kept me hooked and guessing. It has a lot of twists, and there is another just when you think you have figured it out.
Thank you Headline and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.
I loved the characters, their backstories and relationships with each other. The female lead is extremely strong and I love how she stands up for herself and her loved ones. This is told in multiple perspectives and timelines. It kept me hooked and guessing. It has a lot of twists, and there is another just when you think you have figured it out.
Thank you Headline and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am really enjoying this series of books, Kez is an interesting character and her storylines are great. In this book she looks into why girls keep disappearing from a high end boarding school. I definitely did not expect it to go where it did, it was a gripping read, especially at the end!
However, I did find the use of Gen Z slang over the top. I have a teenage son and him and his friends do not talk like the characters in this book, it felt fake and unnecessary. It detracted from what was overall a very good book.
However, I did find the use of Gen Z slang over the top. I have a teenage son and him and his friends do not talk like the characters in this book, it felt fake and unnecessary. It detracted from what was overall a very good book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Dorothy Koomson does it again 👏📖
The Quiet Girls had me hooked from the very first page. Just when I thought I’d figured out who the villain was, the story shifted and sent me in another direction. I was constantly second guessing myself, which made the tension even more effective.
Gripping, twisty, and impossible to put down, with a stead build up of tension. Exactly the kind of compelling, emotionally engaging storytelling I expect from a Dorothy Koomson novel.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC 💛
The Quiet Girls had me hooked from the very first page. Just when I thought I’d figured out who the villain was, the story shifted and sent me in another direction. I was constantly second guessing myself, which made the tension even more effective.
Gripping, twisty, and impossible to put down, with a stead build up of tension. Exactly the kind of compelling, emotionally engaging storytelling I expect from a Dorothy Koomson novel.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC 💛
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews