Pulled me in from the first page with smart narration, characters I cared about, a hold-your-breath plot, and a terrific final twist. Put this one high on your summer list

A complex, suspenseful story about the shocking and unexpected consequences of a sexual assault . . . a brilliant debut. One of the best books you’ll read this year

A magnificent debut to rival the very best of Dennis Lehane, The Damage scores knockout thriller punches chapter after chapter. It’s dense and exciting, as though Michael Connelly and Tana French had joined forces. A spectacularly plotted and powerful family drama

A brilliantly-observed novel about how a terrible crime can ignite the first match in a whole row. Twist after twist – but also a damning and humane exploration of family, brotherhood and upbringing. To say I loved it is a wild understatement

The whodunnit tipped to be this summer’s must-read

Sensational. This is ‘catch in the throat’ storytelling that Wahrer makes look disarmingly easy and it leads to not one but two startling final twists. Unputdownable

A tense psychological thriller, full of twists yet acutely attuned to the mental and physical effects of violence. It feels utterly authentic. A remarkable debut

A suspenseful family drama. It draws you right in from the get-go and constantly leaves you guessing and questioning – sometimes even shouting at the page. An explosive ending that you will not see coming. If you’re reading it around family and friends, expect to need to ignore them for a few hours while you finish it

Damage sets the standard for psychological suspense! With a consummate authorial hand, Wahrer weaves a brilliantly layered story of a horrific crime and how it forces each member of a loving family to confront the harrowing question of what kind of person they truly are. The style of this novel is as elegant as the characters are breathtakingly real and the plot undeniably compelling

Gritty and suspenseful . . . Splices small-town family drama with nervy psychological noir. An explosively slow-burn guessing game

Smart, suspenseful and timely, this accomplished debut takes us on a journey through the emotional fall-out from one ugly night in a small town

Caitlin digs into our perceptions around masculinity, consent and what it means when violation becomes public knowledge. Twisty family drama . . . Skilful

Delightfully unpredictable, The Damage is a relatable tale about the desire to protect your family. I ripped through it one sitting

A devastating, life affirming, heart thumping exploration of family, brotherhood and what people will do to protect the ones we love. Highly recommended

A blisteringly smart and evocative novel, with a compelling premise, richly developed characters, and enough suspense to keep you up all night. A powerful debut

A smartly written, deft thriller in which the fallout from the crime, rather than the crime itself, is the important thing. In asking us to consider how far we would go for those we love and what it means to part of a family, Caitlin Wahrer has written a compelling and thought-provoking book, which is also hard to put down

A riveting exploration of the devastating effects male sexual assault has on an ordinary family & asks the question how far would you go for family? Highly recommended

Damage is the very best kind of thriller, exploring how numerous lives are blown apart by a single crime. With a cast of characters whose nuanced back-stories are brilliantly-drawn but never laboured, this is a magnificent novel which plays out like the most addictive of tv series. The storytelling is masterful and I was hooked from page one until that exquisitely satisfying final chapter…

Disturbing and challenging, this whip-smart novel explores loyalty and justice, and makes you consider whether you’d be the upright person you like to think you are, when pushed to the limits of your morality. It’ll keep you guessing and changing your mind until the sucker-punch of an ending

Nail-biting

A simmering and shocking tale, sensitively told

A nail-biting read

Compelling