The Stepmother : A totally gripping psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming - Sheila Bugler

The Stepmother : A totally gripping psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming - Sheila Bugler

Sheila Bugler

£10.99

Available to order

Not on our shelves today. We’ll order it in and post it out — with you in 2–3 working days.

  • Pages · 352 pages, N/A
  • Publication Date · 24/09/2026
  • Genre · Crime & mystery
Collect in store Pick it up free from the shop in Oxford's Covered Market, usually quicker than the post.
Delivery Standard tracked £1.99, free on orders over £20. Express tracked £2.99.
Book Lovers' Happy Hour Three cocktails matched to your taste, three books chosen for you, an hour and a half at the bar. £60 per person. Book a place →
Had more twists than a corkscrew there was always another twist or piece of action that kept my attention. A truly fantastic book!... I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, holding my breath until the nail-biting finale. A must read for psychological thriller fans!' Reader review ?????'Talk about a whirlwind of a plot! It's fast-paced and most definitely thrilling... A twisty, twisty tale that just rolls with the punches! As it unfolded I was almost inhaling the book!... Fabulous read!!' Reader review ?????It is a day like any other when Sarah arrives at the school gate to pick up her two stepchildren, Izzy and Patrick. But when the twins don't run out to meet her like normal, Sarah knows something must be wrong. Sarah can't believe what she's hearing when the teacher informs her that their father, Mike, removed them from school earlier in the day. All of Sarah's calls to Mike go to voicemail. Worse is to come when Sarah is told by police that as she and Mike are not legally married, and he is the children's father, there is nothing they or Sarah can do. Then she receives a text message from Mike: Don't go home. It's not safe. What has Mike been hiding? Where are their children? How can Sarah get her family back? Before it's too late... Everyone is gripped by The Stepmother: 'Absolutely amazing and I read this over the course of a day as I could not put it down! What a book! This story was one that kept me turning page after page... 5 stars amazing!!!' Reader review ?????'Gripping, emotionally charged thriller that hooks you from the very first page and refuses to let go... The pacing is sharp and addictive, with short, tense chapters that make it almost impossible to put down. Just when you think you have a grasp on what's happening, another twist pulls you deeper into the mystery' Reader review ?????'Absolutely gripping from the very first page, this is a thriller that wastes no time throwing you straight into every parent's worst nightmare... Just when you think you've figured things out, another twist pulls the rug from under you... Dark, twisty, and full of suspense, this is a binge-worthy thriller that keeps you guessing right until the final pages' Reader review ?????'Grabbed me by the collar in the prologue and said, you're not sleeping tonight. And it was absolutely right... I was completely hooked' Reader review ?????'The tension builds brilliantly, and the action never lets up, which kept me completely hooked from start to finish... The twists were genuinely unexpected' Reader review ?????'Gripping psychological thriller with strong emotional depth and plenty of suspense... Fantastic' Reader review ?????'An action-packed plot... Gripping is an understatement... The kind of book you start, then barely put down until you reach the shocking and unexpected conclusion. A fabulous psychological thriller that fully deserves five stars' Reader review ?????

Only at Gulp Fiction

Book Lovers' Happy Hour

An hour and a half at the bar, with three cocktails matched to your taste and three books chosen for you. Tell us what you like when you book, and we'll have them waiting when you arrive.

  • 1½ hours
  • £60 per person
  • 3 cocktails, 3 books
Book Happy Hour

Up to four of you can come — book a place each and choose the same time slot, then tell us who you're with. For larger groups, email gulpfictionbooks@gmail.com and we'll arrange it.

Three customers at the window table in Gulp Fiction, cocktails in hand beside a stack of books, with Oxford's Covered Market visible through the glass

Collect in store

Order online and pick it up from the shop. It's free, and usually quicker than the post.

Find us

Units 28–29, Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DU. Mon–Wed 10–5, Thu–Sat 10–10, Sun 11–4.

Book a table

The bar is open late Thursday to Saturday. Reserve a table for a drink among the books.