Can You See Me Now? is a gripping psychological suspense thriller about a young Indian woman, now a government minister, whose past secrets are about to reverberate into the present and shatter her life. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Erin Kelly.
Fifteen years ago, three sixteen-year-old girls meet at Wescott, an exclusive private school in India.
Two, Sabah and Noor, are the most popular girls in their year. One, Alia, is a new arrival from England, who feels her happiness depends on their acceptance.
Before she knows it, Sabah and Noor's intoxicating world of privilege and intimacy opens up to Alia and, for the first time, after years of neglect from her parents, she feels she is exactly where, and with whom, she belongs.
But with intimacy comes jealousy, and with privilege, resentment, and Alia finds that it only takes one night for her bright new world to shatter around her.
Now Alia, a cabinet minister in the Indian government, is about to find her secrets have no intention of staying buried . . .
Praise for Can You See Me Now?
“Deceptively clever…At first sight a conventional story about teenage rivalry, the novel opens out into an unflinching account of the distorting effect of privilege on adolescent behaviour.”
— Sunday Times
“Well written and compulsive, Can You See Me Now? is a sophisticated page-turner. I was enthralled by the dual timelines, the political setting and the way the dynamics from the women’s past played out in the present. It’s very well done.”
— Harriet Tyce, bestselling author of Blood Orange
“Sakhlecha is excellent at creating atmospheres, whether its dark, gossipy, rivalry...or the raw power play of Indian politics...that permeates this moving tale.”
— Daily Mail
“A spellbinding and stunningly original portrait of friendship, secrets and family, set against the turbulent background of Indian politics. The ending will astound you.”
— Lesley Kara, bestselling author of The Rumour
“A pacey exploration of female friendship, power and misogyny.”
— BBC Radio 4 Open Book (Elizabeth Day)
“A mesmerising tale…of an intense yet toxic friendship that implodes with deadly consequences.”
— Herald
“Can You See Me Now? is a highly literary novel, but one with all the page-turning compulsion of an unputdownable thriller. It is a book about India that can stand proudly beside Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. But it is...also about friendship, ambition, betrayal and growing up. A great read and one of my books of the year. Trisha Sakhlecha is a novelist to watch.”
— Edward Wilson, author of The Envoy
“A shocking, scandalous story that’s quite brilliant.”
— Woman’s Own
“Intricately plotted and righteously angry, Can You See Me Now? is a thought-provoking tale of female friendship struggling to survive in a patriarchal society. Nothing is quite what it seems in this tautly written psych suspense.”
— Nicola Rayner, author of The Girl Before You
“I loved Trisha Sakhlecha's latest psychological thriller. It has everything; a friendship with secrets, a devastating crime, jealousy, politics and reputation. A multi-layered story. Whizzed through it!”
— Emma Curtis, bestselling author of One Little Mistake
“I really enjoyed this new thriller. I was gripped by the twisty plot and loved learning more about Delhi culture.”
— Neema Shah, author of Kololo Hill
“Can You See Me Now? is a deft exploration of power, misogyny, responsibility and what it means for certain people to have control over certain narratives. It’s also a seriously gripping read. I loved every plot twist, found myself completely drawn in by the blend of idealism, glamour and ruthlessness in the world in which it takes place, and was captivated by the three central characters, and the complex, shifting relationships between them.”
— Naomi Ishiguro, author of Escape Routes
“An evocative exploration of female friendships and politics, intimacy
and intrigue.”
— Rachel Edwards, author of Darling
“I loved it! Full of tension and intrigue that will keep you turning the pages right to the very end. The setting draws you into a world of teenage girls, women and secrets, lies and power. My heart didn’t stop racing.”
— Lauren North, author of The Perfect Betrayal
“A stylishly executed thriller set in a fascinating world, with a sucker-punch ending. Sheer class.“
— WI Life
Praise for Trisha Sakhlecha
“A deliciously dark and original debut about love, loss and lies, with an ending that is impossible to predict.”
— Alice Feeney, bestselling author of Sometimes I Lie
“Original and evocative, I was completely hooked by the longing, love and envy simmering sometimes unseen, yet ever-present. With an ending I couldn't predict, this debut is one to savour.”
— Karen Hamilton, bestselling author of The Perfect Girlfriend
“Well written, with plenty of twists and an excellent sense of place.”
— Guardian
“I couldn't move until I'd finished this wonderful debut novel. An original voice, and an intricate, unpredictable plot. It was really refreshing to read a psychological thriller set within a different culture. I loved it.”
— Emma Curtis, bestselling author of One Little Mistake
“A gripping thriller that is impossible to predict. The pacing of the story is brilliant and it builds up to a clever ending.”
— The Times of India
“Your Truth or Mine? is a book that you'll want to read again as soon as you've finished it, to look for clues, wondering how you'd missed them the first time around. I thought I had it all figured out, so was 'Wait . . . What?' when the reveal came. The sucker punch came from nowhere and lifted me off my feet - the sign of a great book.”
— Sandie Jones, bestselling author of The Other Woman
“This is a well-structured, twisty novel which has at its heart a very honest portrayal of a marriage and, no, I didn't see the twist coming.”
— Richard Skinner, author of The Mirror
“Tense, twisting, and infused with an intoxicating sense of dread. This is a seriously gripping thriller.”
— B P Walter, bestselling author of The Dinner Guest