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The Things you find in Rockpools: A psychological Mystery and Suspense Thriller Hardcover – October 14, 2021
Gregg Dunnett (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Eleven-year-old Billy lives a lonely life with his father in a windswept clifftop house.
Until a tourist girl vanishes from the beach below. A huge police search takes over the island, but fails to uncover what happened.
And Billy can’t resist getting involved.
He’s a little young to play detective, but he’s smart, and he knows every inch of the empty sands and rocky coves around his home.
Oh yeah – and he was there that night.
His style of investigation is unlike anything you’ve read before, but it sort of works… until the trail of clues all point in one ominous direction. Billy is forced to confront a terrifying possibility – that the killer he seeks could be his own father.
But if his dad really is a child-murderer, then what will he do when he learns Billy has discovered the truth?
The Things you Find in Rockpools is an atmospheric and gripping thriller with over 100,000 copies sold and thousands of international five-star reviews. It's been translated into several languages, is being considered for a TV or movie adaptation, and is now the beginning of a four-book series. It's perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Rachel Caine, David Baldacci, Gillian Flynn and James Patterson (or just anyone who loves twisting and utterly engrossing crime thrillers.) Here’s just a taste of what readers are saying:
“Hugely enjoyable. This is a cut above your usual thriller, and will keep you guessing until the end.” (Amazon reviewer *****)
“Billy has just become my favorite ever character!” (Amazon reviewer *****)
“I would give it 6 stars if I could.” (Amazon reviewer *****)
"Hands down my best read of the year!" (Amazon reviewer *****)
“A fantastic twisting mystery thriller, set on an evocative and lonely island, and featuring the most likable character I’ve read in years.” (Amazon reviewer *****)
“I totally and utterly fell in love with Billy Wheatley.” (Amazon reviewer *****)
"Did not disappoint. A fab read!" (Amazon reviewer *****)
"Loved it from start to finish." (Amazon reviewer *****)
"An unusual story line and lead character. I loved it!" (Amazon reviewer *****)
Start reading today, and find out if Billy can unpick the lies – before it’s too late...
- Print length386 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateOctober 14, 2021
- Dimensions6 x 1.16 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101912835428
- ISBN-13978-1912835423
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Product details
- Publisher : Old Map Books (October 14, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 386 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1912835428
- ISBN-13 : 978-1912835423
- Item Weight : 1.44 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.16 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,133,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #26,527 in Private Investigator Mysteries (Books)
- #42,138 in Amateur Sleuths
- #92,357 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Gregg Dunnett is a British author writing psychological thrillers and stories about travel and adventure, usually with a connection to the coast, or the oceans. Before turning to novels he worked as a journalist for ten years on a windsurfing magazine, briefly owned a sailing school in Egypt, taught English in Thailand, Portugal, Turkey and Italy, taught sailing in Greece and Spain, and also had several rather duller jobs along the way.
His brother is the adventurer Jono Dunnett who in 2015 windsurfed alone and unsupported around the entire coastline of Great Britain, and who is currently windsurfing around the coastline of Europe.
Gregg lives in Bournemouth on the south coast of England with his partner Maria. They have two young children, Alba and Rafa, for whom the phrase “Daddy's working” has absolutely no effect.
Gregg's debut novel was an Amazon top 100 best seller in the UK and was downloaded over a quarter of a million times.
Gregg on why he writes:
"I’ve always wanted to do two things in life, to write, and to have adventures. When I was a kid I imagined grand affairs. Kayaking across Canada, cycling to Australia. Whole summers in the Arctic. Did it happen? Well, partly.
I’ve been lucky, I spent some years abroad teaching English. I worked in sailing schools in Greece and Spain. I really lucked out with a job testing windsurfing boards for the magazine I grew up reading. I made a questionable decision (ok, a bad decision) to buy a windsurfing centre in Egypt. I’ve also done my fair share of less exciting jobs. Packing and stacking potatoes on a farm, which got me fitter than I’ve ever been in my life. I did a few years in local government which taught me that people really do have meetings that result only in the need for more meetings, and they really do take all afternoon. I spent a pleasant few months in a giant book warehouse, where I would deliberately get lost among the miles of shelves unpacking travel guides and daydreaming. I’ve done a bit of writing too, at least I learned how to write. Boards Magazine isn’t well known (it doesn’t even exist today) but it did have a reputation for being well written and I shoe-horned articles in my own gonzo journalism style on some topics with the most tenuous of links to windsurfing. But the real adventures never came. Nor did the real writing.
Then last year, my brother announced he was going to become the first person to windsurf alone around Great Britain. I don’t know why. Apparently it was something he’d always wanted to do (news to me.). It was a proper adventure. It was dangerous, it was exciting. Even just talking about it he got on TV, in the papers etc... Some people thought he was reckless, some thought he was inspirational. Lots of people thought he’d fail.
But he didn’t. He made it around. He even sailed solo from Wales to Ireland, the first to make the crossing without the aid of a safety boat. I was lucky enough to be involved in a superficial planning level, and take part in a few training sails, and the last leg of the trip. But he did ninety nine percent of it on his own. One step at a time, just getting on with it. That was quite inspiring.
In a way it inspired me to pull my finger out. I’d been writing novels - or trying to write novels - then for a few years. But it was touch and go as to whether I was going to be one of those ‘writers’ with a half-finished novel lost on a hard drive somewhere, rather than someone who might actually manage to finish the job.
I’ve now got two lovely, highly demanding children, so real adventures are hard right now. I still try to get away when I can for nights out in the wilds rough camping, surf trips sleeping in the van, windsurfing when the big storms come. I love adventures with the kids too.
I hope in time to get around to a few real adventures. I want to sail across an ocean. I want to bike across a continent. I definitely want to spend more time surfing empty waves.
But for me, for now at least, the real adventures take place in my mind. In my real life I’m too chained-down with the mortgage to travel the world at the drop of a hat. But when I’m writing I’m totally free. When I write, that’s me having an adventure."
For more on Gregg please visit his website at www.greggdunnett.co.uk
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Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2018
Top reviews from the United States
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It is filled with twists and turns that kept this reader engrossed. The characters are well defined with some you will love and others hate. Every worthwhile story needs both types of characters. The main protagonist is Billy. He is only nine years old but commands this story with his intelligence, scientific knowledge and innocence.
There is a girl missing in his town and Billy feels compelled to assist the police by doing his own investigation since they are at a stalemate. What he doesn’t realize is his investigation is leading him into more trouble than he ever imagined.
There are so many twists and turns making for an enjoyable romp right up until the end. I don’t want to give away any of the clues. If you want to read one of the best psychological mystery/thrillers out there, in my opinion, you need to get a copy right away and enjoy. I look forward to the next thrilling book that this talented author writes.
One of the teen daughters of a cottage renter, he met this past summer, has come up missing. Police from all over came in to lend a hand in trying to find her on this little island to no avail.
Billy decides he is going to use his observation skills to find clues in hopes he can pass them along to the police and become a hero and get his picture in the paper.
He has to keep all this under wraps though because his Dad is real cautious about any spotlight being shone on them.
Don’t let my poor review cause you to think this is a rudimentary story about a little kid and his sweet summer adventure. This is a psychological murder mystery with twists and turns. Fast moving. No long boring passages. The author keeps the story on track and provides characters that you like, hate, love.
What Billy tells you is true but he doesn’t know the whole story, or does he.? There is a sub story here that is woven throughout the book. Glimpses of Billy’s past that finally come to light in a surprising way.
I read it in 2 Days. I think that is a high recommendations of a good read.
Billy Wheatley is a wonderful character. He's so relatable and likeable, though he would not think so. The suspense was intense and I kept wavering on who I thought had abducted Olivia and whether she was alive or dead.
The most exciting character in the book was the ocean. Living on the Pacific coast, I loved how well this author describes everything about a coastal community, the waves, the rocks and the marine life.
A teenage tourist visiting the island goes missing without a trace, prompting months of help from mainland police, but to no avail. Billy decides that the police don't know what they're doing and that he will try to solve the mystery himself. What he finds sets in motion the rest of the plot. As with The Wave at Hanging Rock, this story goes in places I never expected. I loved the character of Billy; so precocious and logical, but at the same time, a child.
Top reviews from other countries

What's more, Greg Dunnett is a master story teller. You kind of know when things aren't right with someone or their past, but you can't quite put your finger on it. You just HAVE to keep reading to see things develop, which of course means there's more feelings you have, which means you just HAVE to....you get the picture.
I like Mr Dunnetts books. I got this one, with some others for my Kindle and there it sat whilst it waited it's turn. It was the pick of the bunch and that bunch included some awfully famous authors. It draws you in. You are rooting for the boy in question, but there's also other characters that get under your skin.
Five stars? Definitely!

As the book develops, Billy becomes even more engaging and convincing, and thinks he has solved the case of the missing girl, but the world around him becomes increasingly more complex. I was continually wrong footed as the book got darker and darker, and poor Billy got into more trouble and found himself at greater risk himself.
The structure of the book is very clever and we switch from seeing things from Billy’s perspective to that of the police involved in the investigations, especially detectives Jessica West and Oliver Rogers from the mainland, sent to help with the investigations. The reader is often unsure of the truth and our sympathies and loyalties are very much with the main characters of Billy and Jessica. Dunnett’s narrative and dialogue carry the plot along at a fast pace but keeps everything within the realms of possibility. The ending is exciting and revealing and will make you hold your breath. I strongly recommend this excellent book.

The background of the Lorney island is fantastic. I guess Gregg needed some place reasonably confined for the story to work and he did this just brilliantly. I could almost see the places he described - the Littlelea, the Siverlea, the beaches and the caves.
And the twist in the story is fabulous. Not the week excuse for a twist you can pretty much see coming from the beginning, but a proper one. Which I couldn't anticipate until pretty late in the story. In short, very well done, Gregg Dunnett.

Spoiler alert:
One of the things I celebrated about this novel were the strong female characters, both good and evil. I tire of reading about women who need to be rescued from evil men and this book turned around those preconceptions, with a final twist that the 11 year old boy did some rescuing of his own. Thanks for that Gregg, very refreshing!
Have already recommended this book to a friend so that answers that question too.
Oh, one other thing - interesting to read that the author is English and yet this is set in USA. Possibly explains why I found it a more comfortable read than some American thrillers.

Having finished, I read the additional information contained in the book which included information about the author and which explained that he was an avid wind surfer, and I immediately understood where he got all his extremely relevant information about the sea, surfing, caves and rockpools.
This is the first in the Rockpool series and I am so pleased that there is a second one, as I loved all the characters in this book and am going to enjoying following their future journeys. Greg Dunnett has proved to be an extremely good author and I am most certainly going to read many more of his excellent books.