Sweat cover art

Sweat

The pulse-racing new literary thriller from the million-copy bestselling author

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Sweat

By: Emma Healey
Narrated by: Alix Dunmore
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £12.06

Buy Now for £12.06

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

All Liam ever wanted was to help me reach my full potential. And he always knew what was best. Until the day he pushed me far beyond my limits, and I walked out of our flat and away from our relationship to good.

Now, two years on, I am stronger, fitter, healthier than ever before. And then I see him – Liam – those green eyes, those stirring muscles. Something inside me flips. I want revenge, and I’m willing to do almost anything to get it.

I hold the power now.

It’s Liam’s turn to sweat.

'An inspired set-up. A clever dynamic that paves the way for a cat-and-mouse thriller. Propulsive.' SUNDAY TIMES

'A maze-like game of revenge. Unsettling. Blends a critique of wellness culture with a slow-burn feminist thriller.' OBSERVER

'If you spend all of January trying to avoid diet culture, then you need to read this book.' COSMOPOLITAN


© Emma Healey 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Domestic Thrillers Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction

Critic reviews

Taut, compulsive, and unsettling ... SWEAT had me holding my breath until the final, brilliant end
Sweat will keep you guessing until the very last page…
Will have you glued to the story through every twist and turn. I absolutely loved it!
Part pulsing psychological thriller, part subversive meditation on the way we use (and abuse) our bodies, part noir-ish twisted revenge fantasy, SWEAT is like nothing I’ve ever read before. So addictive it made me miss a tube stop, so unsettling it made me think twice about going to the gym!
An inspired set-up. A clever dynamic that paves the way for a cat-and-mouse thriller. Propulsive
A maze-like game of revenge. Unsettling. Blends a critique of wellness culture with a slow-burn feminist thriller
Emma Healey's tale of control and revenge will have you hooked till the final page (The Style List)
If you spend all of January trying to avoid diet culture, then you need to read this book
A modern thriller about revenge, self-discipline, and control (Eva Wiseman)
Taut and twisty ... claustrophobic psychological tale ... becomes a slow-burn revenge thriller. Takes full advantage of shifting perspectives and disorientating power dynamics as acts of retribution escalate
All stars
Most relevant
The start was slow but picked up a bit. However the entire book is incredibly dark and disturbing and I’m not sure of the payoff

Very dark and disturbing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was a story about personal trainers which focussed obsessively on exercise & nutrition. The characters were unlikeable so it was difficult to engage with the story

Unless you are a personal trainer or serious fitness addict, you will probably be bored with all the details about training & do

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
my review may be slightly negative as this isn't the genre I usually read/listen to. I thought it was fine, I felt a bit bored in parts and didn't really enjoy the characters.

it was fine

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was excited when this book came out as I liked the premise and was interested in the themes it covered. But I could only last a few chapters. As someone with past body and eating issues it was tone deaf and completely superficial and I’m sure people that have been in controlling relationships would say the same about the hateful, vindictive “heroine” that comes out of one. The narrative’s “chav” voice was just embarrassing.

So bad I couldn’t finish it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Book is fine if you are ‘Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder’ (ARFID) had to research the term AND obsessed with the gym. All characters unpleasant even Cassie who left her controlling boyfriend. No idea why I kept listening- it was a bizarre story!!
Accents were embarrassingly dreadful

Strange fascination with the book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.