Clever Little Thing: A taut, powerful and gripping psychological thriller with a twist you'll never forget!

Paperback Published on: 29/01/2026
Price: £12.99
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Synopsis

A MOTHER KNOWS HER CHILD BEST. DOESN'T SHE?
'Brilliant and creepy, I wolfed it down! One of my favourite reads of 2025' LISA JEWELL

Charlotte's daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of her babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what's more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian.

Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives?

As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it's clear her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is convinced she is the only one who can save her daughter.

Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale.

'Compelling and creepy' ASHLEY ELSTON

'An eerie, twisty story of a mother trying to protect her daughter' TRACY SIERRA

'Perfectly unnerving' ASHLEY AUDRAIN

'Unsettling in the best way' MARY KUBICA

'Incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy' ASHLEY TATE

Discover for yourself why readers can't get enough of CLEVER LITTLE THING:

'CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS for January. You will be doing nothing but devouring this absolutely breathtaking page-turner of a book. Think THE PUSH - on steroids' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'The best psychological thriller I've read this year!' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Clear your calendar because this one is impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'If you enjoy bingeable psychological thrillers, pick this one up . . . it deserves all the praise' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Clever Little Thing explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships with a supernatural twist . . . a phenomenal read, one that I didn't want to put down' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A must read . . . a book that I will tell everyone about!' Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9781035421510
  • Number of pages: 352
  • Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 26 mm
  • Weight: 250g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Clever Little Thing
Nicely creepy crazy!
This was a good book that definitely has you questioning whether Stella somehow has become possessed by Blanka, her old babysitter who recently died, or if... READ MORE
K. Bickmore
Clever Little Thing
I really enjoyed this book!
Part thriller, part supernatural, part horror and part domestic drama! “Clever Little Thing” tells the story of eight year old Stella, whose body appears t... READ MORE
Sharon Valler
Clever Little Thing
This book isn't sure where it wants to go or be...
After the death of her child’s nanny, a woman notices pronounced differences in her daughter. She thinks her child is trying to process her babysitter’s de... READ MORE
Ekta Garg
Clever Little Thing
Brilliant!
Such a wonderful, clever, intriguing book. It had me hooked from the start and kept me dangling to the very last humdinger of a twist. I swung from disliki... READ MORE
Psychoticpat
Clever Little Thing
The perfect psychological thriller
Stella is an eight-year-old high achiever who has learnt to read books many adults would struggle with. Her vocabulary and ability to question things puts ... READ MORE
Paula Sterling-stead
Clever Little Thing
Clever Little Thing
Stella is a clever, little thing. Bright, gifted even, with a precocious interest in flight, she reads way beyond her age level but unfortunately her gifts... READ MORE
Maureen  Myant
Clever Little Thing
A chilling tense read
A chilling read about a child who seems to be possessed by the spirit of her dead babysitter. Charlotte is married to Pete and they have an 8 year old daug... READ MORE
Lynda’s Book Reviews
Clever Little Thing
Burrows under your skin
With Clever Little Thing, Echlin carefully buids that unsettling atmosphere and sense of dread to weave a story that thrives in ambiguity and suspense. ... READ MORE
Emily (ashortbooklover)