A pulse-racing, heart-pounding international thriller starring one of the most exciting new heroines in crime fiction - set to be a major new TV series

*A TIMES 100 BEST BOOKS FOR SUMMER 2022 SELECTION* *A TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH* 'In the gutsy Casey, [the author] has created an unstoppable yet entirely credible modern heroine... Much of John le Carré’s work was steered by his moral compass. Why should his heir be a man?' The Times 'Casey is fierce, obsessive and brilliant' Observer 'An action-packed rollercoaster of a read ... From the first twist to the heart-thumping finale, I was on the edge of my seat' Charlotte Philby, author of The Second Woman When acclaimed undercover journalist Casey Benedict is asked to interview a young woman with cystic fibrosis, the patient’s doctor alerts her to the looming threat of antibiotic-resistant infections, tipping her off about a potential new wonder drug. If the rumours are true, this new antibiotic could save millions of lives, but no one wants to admit that the drug even exists. As Casey investigates, she follows the trail from the Maldives to a game reserve in Zimbabwe, using her undercover skills to probe the truth and find out why the discovery of this new drug is being covered-up. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, Casey suspects that someone is trying to silence her, but she is not prepared to let the story drop, no matter how much danger she – or those she loves most – are put in. A searing, page-turning, pulse-racing thriller that sees Casey on a hunt around the globe as she pursues a major exposé into pioneering medical research and drugs that could change the world. The Hunt and the Kill is the third book by Holly Watt featuring Casey Benedict.

"She’s on top form ... deftly mixing old-fashioned derring-do (characteristically, the secret files Benedict hunts for are paper ones) with an urgent investigation of cutting-edge medicine" - Sunday Times

"The Hunt and the Kill is a terrific blend of old-school adventure and the thriller-with-a-conscience that has become Holly Watt’s signature ... In the gutsy Casey she has created an unstoppable yet entirely credible modern heroine... Much of John le Carré’s work was steered by his moral compass. Why should his heir be a man?" - The Times

"[Holly’s] affection for the weird world of newspapers comes through strongly, as does the sense that her plot is at least in part inspired by some of the stories and rumours she failed to stand up as a reporter – lucky us that she has decided to give them a new life as fiction" - Evening Standard

"Watt writes with sparky intelligence" - Literary Review

"A fine alchemical mix of great storytelling, strong characters and zeitgeisty themes … The Hunt and the Kill is a superior adventure, gritty and grounded, with bags of atmosphere and plenty to think about … Intelligent, pacy and ripped from the news" - NB Magazine

"A thriller with a conscience featuring at its heart a gutsy yet credible modern heroine" - The Times

"Not straight espionage, but, like later le Carré, guided by moral imperatives, and the combination of a gutsy female protagonist with adventure scenarios is a savvy one" - The Times

"Combining moral outrage with thrilling set pieces, The Hunt and the Kill reworks the adventure story for our age, with its heroine a fearless successor to Richard Hannay" - The Times '100 Best Books for Summer 2022'