A twenty year old mystery. A teenage girl struck by lightning and the righting of past wrongs.

‘Just wait until I tell you all about what lightning can do . . .’

Some called her the lightning girl. The one who survived the storm. I called her my best friend.

Everyone remembers the day Gen was struck by lightning. Few remember what really happened after she disappeared, leaving behind a town full of secrets.

Now I’m back, and the whispers about that summer are haunting me again. I can see the truth taunting me in the shadows. I need answers.

Someone out there knows what happened to the girl who vanished.

Someone wants those secrets to stay buried.

Whatever it takes. 

Praise for Sam Ripley and The Rule of Three:

‘The Rule of Three is a completely original, nuanced, one-sitting read that blew me away. Whip-smart dialogue, characters that haunt your dreams and a plot you might just die for. I loved it’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘The Rule of Three absolutely blew me away. An incredibly intense and original creepy page-turner that made me keep turning the pages in a desperate need to finish it and find out the answers! Utterly paranoia-inducing and brilliant. I loved it. It came for me and now it will come for you!' SARAH PINBOROUGH

'Ingenious, creepy and compelling. Sam Ripley is an exciting new voice in the field of chilling thrillers' ALEX NORTH

'How rare it is to devour a new thriller with a truly new premise told in a truly new way. In The Rule of Three, Sam Ripley has achieved the near impossible, blending innovative storytelling with fresh, surprising characters fighting for their lives against the very narrative we are racing to read and keep up with. This twisty, dark delight plumbs our all-too-human paranoias and proclivities, upending our expectations of what a thriller can be' GREGG HURWITZ 

'The Rule of three is an excellent, twisty thriller that keeps you glued to the page right the way through. Definitely my kind of book!' SIMON KERNICK 

'With The Rule of Three, Sam Ripley has delivered a perfectly crafted nightmare. Taut, deliciously sinister, witty and original. I couldn’t get enough of all the creepy twists and turns' CAZ FREAR

‘The Rule of Three is a sinister tale that deftly blends paranoia, conspiracy and a rash of mysterious deaths to create a dizzying and gripping thriller. The story sucked me in from page one and I was caught up in this just-one-more-chapter read until I raced to the conclusion – making sure to read in a well-lit room at all times!’ ROD REYNOLDS

'Ingenious and compelling in equal measure' KEVIN WIGNALL 

'A thrilling concept told in a gripping, unique voice' CLAIRE MCGOWAN