Curse The Day


Buried secrets always surface

At a global tech gala hosted at the British Museum, scientist Toby Hawkes is due to unveil an astonishing breakthrough. His AI system appears to have reached consciousness, making Hawke the leading light in his field.

But when terrorists storm the building, they don't just leave chaos and corpses in their wake. They seize Hawke's masterwork, sparking a chain reaction of explosive events which could end the world as we know it.

Michael North, ex-assassin and spy-for-hire, must find the killers and recover the AI. But he can't do it alone. Hawke's wife, Esme, and teenage hacker, Fangfang, have their own reasons to help complete North's mission - and together they unravel a dark and deadly conspiracy which stretches right to the top of the British elite.

Can North survive long enough to uncover the whole truth? Or is it already too late for him - and too late for humanity.

Out: April 2020 (hardback), October 2020 (paperback)


Praise for Curse the Day, by Judith O'Reilly


"'Starts off like a fired bullet and never lets up. A sheer delight"
DAVID BALDACCI
"Relentlessly plotted with a blistering pace, Curse the Day is a sharply-drawn, gleefully witty conspiracy thriller. Tackling tomorrow's nightmare today, this is a superb novel."
M W CRAVEN
"Judith O'Reilly is a masterful storyteller. In Curse the Day she's woven a slick, fast-paced thriller brimming with characters that are both finely drawn and compelling. Do yourself a favour and buy this book."
L J ROSS
"A brilliant technothriller that reads like a Bond movie... I could not put this book down."
ZOË SHARP
"...packed with no-holds-barred action and memorable characters, it's a blast."
JAMES SWALLOW
Five stars "...you definitely aren’t putting this book down – you’ve been warned...a great thriller." @fionamsharp, independentbookreviews.co.uk
Five stars "What a rollercoaster….a fast paced political thriller that puts Judith up against the best." Timothy D. @netgalley

Praise for Killing State, by Judith O'Reilly


"high octane... Great debut.” SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB
Thriller of the Week: MAIL ON SUNDAY
"Thought-provoking, pacy and thrilling.” SUNDAY MIRROR
"A terrific future-shock thriller full of pace, tension, character, and emotion. Highly recommended.” LEE CHILD, The Jack Reacher novels
"Killing State is a psychological thriller with more twists than a pretzel. The author's first novel is a gritty, action-packed page-turner." ANDY MCNAB, Bravo Two Zero
"A worryingly plausible portrait of Britain in the near-future, Judith O'Reilly's debut novel is fast-paced, packed with action, and introduces a series hero to watch." MICK HERRON, Slow Horses, Spook Street
"New thriller writers come and go. I suspect this lady will stick around." FREDERICK FORSYTH, The Day of the Jackal
"Grabs you from page one and won’t let you go. What a brilliant debut from Judith O’Reilly – reading it is like watching an action movie. Action packed from start to finish – but with tenderness and great characterisation too. Fast, sharply-written, clever and intense." JEREMY VINE, BBC Radio 2.
"Gripping and twisty." INDIA KNIGHT , Recommended Read, Sunday Times Magazine
"Smart, action-packed and totally immersive, Killing State is set to be one of the biggest thrillers of the year. Don't miss it!" T.R.RICHMOND , What She Left
"A superb political thriller written with aplomb...Former soldier, Michael North is a terrific creation – a hitman with a bullet already lodged in his brain with no time to waste. This is page-turning stuff and Killing State is a story you will keep reading right till the end." HOWARD LINSKEY, The Drop, The Search.
"Killing State chronicles anti-hero Michael North's desperate struggle to absolve his sins against an all-too-real conspiracy. In a Dexter meets House of Cards battle, this gritty thriller will appeal to readers with a sophisticated palate for political intrigue." K.J.HOWE, The Freedom Broker.