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The Good Father

The stunning psychological thriller from the award-winning crime writer
By Liam McIlvanney
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Brief Description
WHEN A CHILD DISAPPEARS, NO SECRET IS SAFE . . . THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH 'This is McIlvanney at his masterful best' - DAILY MAIL 'A moving and absorbing dive into grief and love, and how far a parent would go to save their... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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What could be worse than your child disappearing? An emotional, whip smart and brilliantly clever thriller about a child's disappearance, and the disintegration of a family in the aftermath.

What could be worse than your child disappearing? An emotional, whipsmart and brilliantly clever thriller about a child's disappearance, and the disintegration of a family in the aftermath.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

WHEN A CHILD DISAPPEARS, NO SECRET IS SAFE . . .

THE TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTH

'This is McIlvanney at his masterful best' - DAILY MAIL

'A moving and absorbing dive into grief and love, and how far a parent would go to save their child' - OBSERVER

'Fascinating, moving, disturbing, and surely Liam McIlvanney's best novel to date' - SCOTSMAN

'Heart-stopping and heart-rending, this is Liam McIlvanney's best novel yet' - VAL MCDERMID

THE POIGNANT AND BRILLIANTLY CLEVER NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CRIME AUTHOR, LIAM McILVANNEY.

Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with rich, fulfilling lives. They have a son they adore, a house on the beach and a safe, friendly community in a picture-postcard town.

Until, one day, Bonnie the labrador comes in from the beach alone. Their son, Rory, has gone - the only trace left behind is a single black sandal.

Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope, they dig deep and try to carry on.

But as desperation mounts, arms around shoulders become fingers pointed - at friends, family, strangers, each other. Without any answers, only questions remain. Who can they trust? How far will they go to find out what happened to Rory?

And the deadliest question of all: what could be worse than your child disappearing?

When the truth begins to emerge, they find themselves in a world they could barely have imagined.

'Beautifully written, this is easily one of the finest crime novels I've read in a very long time' - C.M. EWAN

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781804186961

Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 June 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Zaffre

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 199.0mm

Weight: 278g

Pages: 416

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Liam McIlvanney Psychological Thriller

About the Author

Liam McIlvanney was born in Scotland and studied at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. He has written for numerous publications, including the London Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement. His first book, Burns the Radical, won the Saltire First Book Award. His crime novels have won multiple awards, including the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize, the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, and he has also been shortlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. He is Stuart Professor of Scottish Studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He lives in Dunedin with his wife and four sons.

Also by Liam McIlvanney

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  • The Good Father
    Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with successful, fulfilling lives. A son they adore, a house on the beach, and a safe, friendly, and honest community in a picture-postcard town on the Ayrshire coast. Until one day, Bonnie the lab comes in from the beach alone. Their son Rory has just gone—the only trace left is a single...
    By Liam McIlvanney
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    $3400
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  • The Heretic
    From the award-winning author comes a much-anticipated sequel to the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, The Quaker… Glasgow 1975 A deadly fireAn arson attack on a Glasgow warehouse causes the deaths of a young mother and child. Police suspect it’s the latest act in a brutal gang warfare that’s tearing the city apart – one that DI Duncan McCormack...
    By Liam McIlvanney
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  • The Heretic
    The Heretic
    From the award-winning author comes a much-anticipated sequel to the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, The Quaker… Glasgow 1975 A deadly fireAn arson attack on a Glasgow warehouse causes the deaths of a young mother and child. Police suspect it’s the latest act in a brutal gang warfare that’s tearing the city apart – one that DI Duncan McCormack...
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  • Where the Dead Men Go
    After three years in the wilderness, hardboiled reporter Gerry Conway is back at his desk at the Glasgow Tribune. But three years is a long time on newspapers and things have changed—readers are dwindling, budgets are tightening, and the Trib's once rigorous standards are slipping. Once the paper's star reporter, Conway now plays second fiddle to his former protégé, crime...
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  • The Quaker
    The Quaker is watching you… In the chilling new crime novel from award-winning author Liam McIlvanney, a serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow, and DI McCormack follows a trail of secrets to uncover the truth… Winner of the 2018 McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year A city torn apart. It is 1969, and Glasgow has been...
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