Bad Influence

Two bored, obsessed teenagers break into – and secretly live in – influencers’ houses. But when they choose the wrong home, their twisted experiment turns deadly. A darkly funny, breathtakingly tense thriller from 'one of the most original writers in Britain’ (Daily Express)…

‘A darkly funny and twisty thrill ride’ Mirror

‘Skewers the vacuous narcissism of influencers and reality TV with trademark acerbic wit … darkly funny and twisty’ Express

‘A blistering skewering of influencer culture’ Crime Monthly

‘Social media has never been this deadly. A brutally brilliant story!’ Satu Rämö

‘His best yet!’ S.J. Watson

‘Biting, acerbic, darkly funny and, most importantly, it shines a spotlight on the ridiculousness of modern living, the importance of social media and how we see ourselves’ Chris McDonald

‘Will Carver uses his unique voice to skewer the vacuous world of wannabe influencers and reality TV … a savage, scathing, compelling but deeply funny take-down of a fake, narcissistic world’ Trevor Wood

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Two bored teenagers. 
One stupid game.
The wrong place to play…

Alyssa wants to be seen. Less wants to be someone. She takes two buses to class, posts pictures of her lunch, and pretends it’s all effortless. He hides his privilege beneath thrifted clothes and a sketchbook full of impossible designs. Together, they are inseparable – two outsiders constructing a version of themselves the world might finally applaud.

Then Alyssa stumbles upon the hidden world of phrogging – living unnoticed inside other people’s homes. She and Less slip through Los Angeles’ glossy veneer: influencers, producers, pop stars, all so busy performing their perfect lives they don’t notice the shadows in their attics, the scratching in their walls.

An act of rebellion. A harmless thrill. A social experiment.

Until they choose the wrong house.
Until the influencer they idolise catches them in the act.
Until the cameras, already rolling, capture everything.

What begins as a reckless adventure becomes a nightmare of lies, power … and murder…

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‘Will Carver follows Kill Them With Kindness with another satirical look at the world we live in and he does it brilliantly. He has captured the zeitgeist of 21st-century culture and I cannot wait to see where he goes next’ Michael Wood

‘One of the most exciting authors in Britain’ Daily Express

‘A smart, stylish writer’ Daily Mail

‘Incredibly dark and very funny’ Harriet Tyce

‘Unlike anything you’ll read...read more...