I finished it today and it's completely brilliant, complex, thrilling, brutal, tender, scary and intriguing. What a great book. The pacing is superb, the plot is compelling, the characters are so well drawn. The ending is ingenious
Richard Jones of Bristol Review of Books It has such pace and force. It's very disturbing and builds up to a terrific climax
Helen Dunmore It's written with the verve and assurance of a future star and deserves to be a big hit
Steven Dunne Intelligently and fluently written with a clever plot and an energetic pace, dealing with harrowing topics and shot through with humanity, I think Sarah's onto a winning series and I really look forward to reading the next instalment
Cath Staincliffe I think it must be one of the debut novels of next year, if not THE debut novel... (It will be if there is any justice in the world!)
Caro Ramsay Mixing a strong sense of social justice with carefully crafted characters and an interesting plot, this is a powerful piece of crime writing that builds to an emotionally charged conclusion
Sydney Herald
It's meaty, dark and terrifying. Unflinchingly violent and beautifully big-hearted in equal measure. And Sarah's writing is glorious - she tells us things in new ways, gives us a fully fleshed, sensual world to inhabit for the novel
Julia Crouch A truly chilling exploration of control, submission and the desire to step out of a normal life
Eva Dolan A tense, terrifying tale of obsession and possession . . . a writer at the top of her game
Alison Graham
Radio Times
Brilliant. I put everything else aside when I have one of her books in the house
Alex Marwood Yet again the author proves herself to be among the leaders of contemporary British crime fiction
For Winter Nights blog
Tastes Like Fear is every bit as assured and involving as its two predecessors, and Hilary is a writer who is clearly here to stay
Crime Time
A tautly conceived story that will grab you from the first page and refuse to let go until the last
CrimeSquad
It is devious, dark, deliciously chilling. A formidable addition to an accomplished series that just keeps getting better and better
Never Imitate blog
I cannot recommend this book highly enough
Live and Deadly blog
Fast-paced, tightly plotted and well-written
The Bath Magazine
Tastes Like Fear is a triumph; brutal, honest and quite brilliant
Random Things Through My Letterbox blog
A masterclass in pace and plot
Joanne Sheppard blog
Tastes Like Fear is an extraordinary depiction of psychological and economic violence that is genuinely chilling
Pam Reader blog
Tastes Like Fear is quality intelligent crime, with enough twists to keep you glued to the page and a massive dose of terrifying anticipation
Northern Crime blog
Writes with an effortless ease and fervour that displays what an accomplished writer she is
Crimespree magazine
Hilary's depiction of 13-year-old Laura Beswick, Loz, is heartbreaking and convincing. This pacy, easy-reading novel is lifted by its perceptive examination of the distress of girls who don't believe they fit their allotted space in the world and the agony of the parents who try to make them understand how deeply they are loved
N. J. Cooper Highly compelling and atmospheric... the storyline and characters involved me completely, from the very first
Kate Rhodes Marnie goes from strength to strength... this one drips with the gritty, dirty, danger of the urban wastelands around the river
Julia Crouch One of Britain's best new crime writers
Daily Mail