Overview

Six decades. Seven people. One unspeakable secret. 1957. A catastrophe occurs at the pharmaceutical lab in Coventry where sixteen-year-old Wilf is working for the summer. A catastrophe that needs to be covered up at all costs. 2017. Phiney is shocked by the death of her grandfather, Wilf, who has jumped from a railway bridge at a Coventry station. Journalist Mat Torrington is the only witness. Left with a swarm of unanswered questions, Phiney, Mat and Wilf's wife, Dora, begin their own enquiries into Wilf's death. It is soon clear that these two events, sixty years apart, are connected - and that Wilf is not the only casualty. But what is the link? And can they find out before any more lives are lost? A Quiet Contagionis a powerfully disquieting mystery for modern times, inspired by the 1957 Coventry polio epidemic and the 1955 Cutter Incident (one of the worst pharmaceutical disasters in US history - which saw thousands of American children mistakenly infected with a live polio vaccine) as well as the more recent global coronavirus pandemic. PRAISE FOR JANE JESMOND 'An original voice in crime fiction' -Sunday TimesonCut Adrift(A Best Crime Novel of 2023) 'Jesmond's delineation of her characters as people with plausible flaws and hot tempers adds depth and complexity to a story that might wear its sentiments on its sleeves, yet which is trimly steered and freighted with contemporary resonance' -TimesonCut Adrift(Thriller Book of the Month) 'In an over-saturated market, finding a new voice with something compelling to say in the crime writing field can be difficult. Thankfully there are people out there trying to deliver a twist on the genre, and Jane Jesmond is one of them' -On Yorkshire MagazineonCut Adrift

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Reviews

An original and moving mystery, deftly weaving between past and present to examine a profoundly ethical question that is still deeply relevant today -- Philippa East A Quiet Contagion is a deeply intelligent novel from a commanding writer. For me, this has it all - a level of detail that makes the book utterly authentic, combined with ethical questions that leave you thinking about it long after you've read the final page, and characters you cannot help but invest in. Tragic, terrifying, and all too real, A Quiet Contagion will have your heart pounding even as you weep -- Helen Fields Jesmond presents a cracking conundrum then adds a chewy moral dilemma to the mix, dangling a riveting hook before throwing in a ticking time bomb to create a propulsive beating heart... a complex, moving and ultimately satisfying page-turner -- Fiona Erskine This compulsive thriller blends real events with a clever fictional plot. Thoughtful, topical and gripping, A Quiet Contagion is bound to win Jane Jesmond even more acclaim -- Carolyn Kirby

An original and moving mystery, deftly weaving between past and present to examine a profoundly ethical question that is still deeply relevant today -- Philippa East A Quiet Contagion is a deeply intelligent novel from a commanding writer. For me, this has it all - a level of detail that makes the book utterly authentic, combined with ethical questions that leave you thinking about it long after you've read the final page, and characters you cannot help but invest in. Tragic, terrifying, and all too real, A Quiet Contagion will have your heart pounding even as you weep -- Helen Fields Jesmond presents a cracking conundrum then adds a chewy moral dilemma to the mix, dangling a riveting hook before throwing in a ticking time bomb to create a propulsive beating heart... a complex, moving and ultimately satisfying page-turner -- Fiona Erskine

A well written story, with excellently created characters. This blend of history and contemporary, fact and fiction is original and engrossing * Mature Times * Jesmond's thriller incorporates a very likeable protagonist and a really twisty plot with a thought-provoking moral dilemma -- John Williams * Mail on Sunday * An original and absorbing thriller that casts light on a little-known part of our history. Authentic characters, great pace, and a captivating storyline that still resonates powerfully today -- Sarah Clarke A novel that will keep you gripped to the final page -- Promoting Crime Fiction An original and moving mystery, deftly weaving between past and present to examine a profoundly ethical question that is still deeply relevant today -- Philippa East

'Jesmond's thriller incorporates a very likeable protagonist and a really twisty plot with a thought-provoking moral dilemma' -- John Williams * Mail on Sunday * An original and moving mystery, deftly weaving between past and present to examine a profoundly ethical question that is still deeply relevant today -- Philippa East A Quiet Contagion is a deeply intelligent novel from a commanding writer. For me, this has it all - a level of detail that makes the book utterly authentic, combined with ethical questions that leave you thinking about it long after you've read the final page, and characters you cannot help but invest in. Tragic, terrifying, and all too real, A Quiet Contagion will have your heart pounding even as you weep -- Helen Fields Jesmond presents a cracking conundrum then adds a chewy moral dilemma to the mix, dangling a riveting hook before throwing in a ticking time bomb to create a propulsive beating heart... a complex, moving and ultimately satisfying page-turner -- Fiona Erskine This compulsive thriller blends real events with a clever fictional plot. Thoughtful, topical and gripping, A Quiet Contagion is bound to win Jane Jesmond even more acclaim -- Carolyn Kirby

Author Information

Jane Jesmond writes crime, thriller and mystery fiction. Her debut novel,On The Edge - the first in a series featuring dynamic, daredevil protagonist Jen Shaw - was a Sunday Times Best Crime Fiction of the Month pick. The second in the series,Cut Adrift, was theTimesThriller of the Month and a Sunday Times Best Book of 2023 upon its publication.A Quiet Contagion is a brand-new standalone mystery and her third book with VERVE Books. Although she loves writing (and reading) thrillers and mysteries, her real life is very quiet and unexciting. Dead bodies and dangerous exploits are not a feature! She lives by the sea in the northwest tip of France with a husband and a cat and enjoys coastal walks and village life. Unlike Jen Shaw, she is terrified of heights.

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