If she disappeared on Monday night, more than three days ago, without her phone or her toothbrush, then she is dead, isn’t she?

Prolific crime writer Penny Freedman returns with her fifth novel in the Gina Gray series: Drown My Books.

The narrative follows the story of Gina Gray, a woman who is disappointed by work, love and life. She has settled on a bleak stretch of the Kent coast where she walks her surly dog, coaches unpromising A-level students and teaches English to asylum seekers in Dover, whose stories break her heart. The one bright spot in her life is the community library and the book group she organises; however, on one grim February morning, her dog finds a body on the beach and her source of comfort turns into her biggest threat...

Alarmingly, Gina learns that the dead woman is the second member of the book group to be killed, making Gina convinced that the book group is being targeted. DI Paula Powell, the lead of the police investigation, also happens to be Gina’s old rival in love, and Powell breaks the news that the killer is believed to be among Gina’s class of asylum seekers. With or without the help of DI Paula Powell, Gina has to move fast to find the truth. Could it be one of her asylum-seeker students who she admires so much that is actually a cold-blooded murderer?

Drown My Books will appeal to those who enjoy crime and mystery fiction, as well as fans of Penny’s former books. The book will also appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Susan Hill, authors that have inspired Penny’s writing.