When college student Alexis Turner appears at the North Melbourne police station to make an allegation of sexual assault against respected psychologist Robert Walker, detective Judith Lee experiences an intense sense of déjà vu. Ten years earlier, another young woman had sat in the chair opposite Judith with the same story. Is this Judith’s chance to finally put the predator behind bars?

Walker’s wife, a successful breakfast TV host, receives a mysterious package containing a USB-drive with what appears to be footage of her husband being intimate with a stranger. Elsewhere, other packages are being delivered: a handgun and a beautifully wrapped parcel of treats. What do the three recipients of these ominous gifts have in common, and what does it have to do with two young girls who played together on a beach years earlier?

In creating this novel, her most recent standalone thriller, bestselling author Dervla McTiernan says she was inspired by the movie Se7en and the series Killing Eve, and the parallels are obvious: a charming, morally ambiguous protagonist; an investigator drawn against their will into a game of a killer’s devising; and, of course, boxes being delivered that contain endless destructive potential.

Three Reasons for Revenge is a satisfyingly twisty psychological thriller with a propulsive storyline and gradual reveals throughout that allow readers to unravel the tangle of narrative threads as the book progresses towards its explosive finale. It’s perfect for readers who relish character-driven suspense novels that are guaranteed to keep you awake and turning pages late into the night.