The Face Behind the Mask

The Face Behind the Mask
Helen Phifer

‘Wow this book was fantastic! Loved the characters, loved the story. Couldn't put it down, it totally sucked me in and didn't let me go until the very last page.’ – Dawn (Netgalley)The greatest show on earth may pose the greatest danger…1950: Tufty the clown is a circus favourite, drawing fans from miles around. But behind the painted white face, the upturned red lips and bouncy wig, there lurks something far more sinister…Present Day: When Walter discovers an old clown suit, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to it. Putting on the suit feels electric, but that’s when the voices in his head get louder, and suddenly, he finds himself acting in ways he never would have imagined.Police officer Annie Ashworth is enjoying her maternity leave spending time with baby Alfie. Until there is a new serial killer on the loose in Barrow, which might explain the cold presence she senses in her house. She’s sure a spirit needs to be put to rest, and she’s always been right in the past. But who is the man in the mask who haunts her nightmares? And why is he wearing a clown suit…What reviewers are saying about THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK‘Read this with the lights on!’ - Cayocosta72‘If you haven’t read any of the books in this series yet, you don’t know what you’re missing!’ – Splashes into Books

The greatest show on earth may pose the greatest danger…

1950: Tufty the clown is a circus favourite, drawing fans from miles around. But behind the painted white face, the upturned red lips and bouncy wig, there lurks something far more sinister…

Present Day: When Walter discovers an old clown suit, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to it. Putting on the suit feels electric, but that’s when the voices in his head get louder, and suddenly he finds himself acting in ways he never would have imagined.

Police officer Annie Ashworth is enjoying her maternity leave spending time with baby Alfie. Until there is a new serial killer on the loose in Barrow, which might explain the cold presence she senses in her house. She’s sure a spirit needs to be put to rest, and she’s always been right in the past. But who is the man in the mask who haunts her nightmares? And why is he wearing a clown suit…

Praise for HELEN PHIFER’s Annie Graham series (#ulink_d792e28c-c480-56b4-99ce-935adeb69dce)

‘If you haven’t read any of the books in this series yet, you don’t know what you’re missing!’ – Splashes into Books

‘The Ghost House is the most exciting book I have read in a very long time, and would make an absolutely perfect Halloween read! Amazing début from Helen Phifer and I eagerly await more from her!’ – Judging Covers

‘It was an atmospheric, spooky read, ideal for the season.’ – I Heart Reading

‘The story constantly kept me on the edge of my seat. The Ghost House is a magnificent read and it’s perfect for those who have a strong stomach and nerves of steel!’ – Librarian Lavender

‘I really found my heart thumping through some of the passages, and I blame Helen for sleepless nights when I was wondering what would happen next!’ – Amy (Amazon reviewer)

‘I was really impressed by this book. … I was amazed how the author got inside of the mind of the serial killer and really showed you his psychotic thought processes.’ – Elder Park Book Reviews

‘The twists and turns are fascinating.’ – A J Book Review Club

‘If you love paranormal and crime novels, then this series is the one for you! But not only that, Helen also manages to grip you from the start, with romance thrown in and a lot of suspense. The stories jump from past to present throughout which shows incredible storytelling as you do not get confused by this once, it really adds to the storyline.’ – Nikki xoxo (Amazon reviewer)

Also by Helen Phifer (#ulink_e5034977-10c8-5841-b379-8b78c5a451b1)

The Good Sisters

The Annie Graham Series

The Ghost House

The Secrets of the Shadows

The Forgotten Cottage

The Lake House

The Girls in the Woods

The Face Behind the Mask

Helen Phifer

Copyright (#ulink_1f6d4d7c-204b-5d1c-8944-02ef17bdd1ce)

HQ

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2017

Copyright © Helen Phifer 2017

Helen Phifer asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

E-book Edition © April 2017 ISBN: 9780008209575

Version: 2018-07-18

Contents

Cover (#ube2f2d89-d7a3-50fd-9676-7430caf183dc)

Blurb (#u68deafe0-6bcf-57f8-88b7-b6321970957f)

Praise (#ulink_6267ad9f-effe-53d0-afe6-ca4581c78455)

Book List (#ulink_0f72e4a9-6bd3-59f4-92f3-db7333d2137f)

Title Page (#uc468a2f3-0ef4-555e-a440-767e009655af)

Author Bio (#uf291da9a-34f8-57aa-833f-ac831c4ae91b)

Dedication (#ulink_636fc4d2-257d-55de-81a9-ab762c655402)

Prologue (#ulink_2ce5f543-af7f-5878-8780-d32e5e1e1ee2)

Chapter One (#ulink_8afde998-a3a9-570c-9e08-b39690c8bf48)

Chapter Two (#ulink_24fba6a8-be8e-51bc-a6a7-830741f23ba5)

Chapter Three (#ulink_d8991f63-c422-5bee-bcb9-aa0639c1226d)