To celebrate the release of her new book The Other Sister, author Elle Croft has written an exclusive piece for Female First, detailing her favourite villains from the world of fictional novels! Are your favourites on the list?

The Grand High Witch - The Witches, Roald Dahl

I grew up on Roald Dahl, and The Grand High Witch was the first fictional villain that scared the pants off me. She was particularly frightening because she was hard to identify, and because of her sheer hatred of children. I had plenty of nightmares after reading The Witches!

Lord Voldemort - Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling

Once I graduated from Roald Dahl (although have you ever really graduated from Roald Dahl?), I moved on to the world of witchcraft and wizardry, and was instantly terrified by the complex and pervasive character of You-Know-Who. You can be certain it’s not a run-of-the-mill villain when you can’t even utter their name!

Amy Dunne - Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

Ah, Amazing Amy. What makes her amazing isn’t, in fact, her talent, her wit and her charm, but rather her ability to deceive and manipulate everyone around her. I love how creatively vengeful Amy Dunne is, and was shocked by her complete lack of remorse. She’s nothing short of an evil genius.

Ramsay Bolton - A Song of Ice & Fire series, George R.R. Martin

The kind of villain who makes your skin crawl, Ramsay Bolton has absolutely no redeeming qualities. He’s a traitor, a rapist, a masochist, a murderer, and a coward. He’s utterly terrifying and completely detestable.

Lady Macbeth - Macbeth, Shakespeare

Probably the original queen of manipulation, Lady Macbeth is a puppet master, pulling the strings of her husband, Macbeth. She’s power-hungry and ruthless, and her character is so compelling that she pretty much steals the show from her husband.

Maura Ryan - Dangerous Lady, Martina Cole

The thing I love most about Maura Ryan is that she’s a sympathetic villain. Her backstory is so heartbreaking that as a reader, you find yourself hoping she’ll succeed, even though her ventures are far from legal. She’s a kick-ass villain with a great wardrobe - what more could you want?

Ben Lucas - Before I Go To Sleep, S.J. Watson

The scariest thing about this story is that Christine doesn’t know that the person who attacked her and stole her away from her real family is the person she’s sleeping right next to; the person she trusts. The horror of her gradual realisation is palpable, and Ben’s lies and manipulation are chilling.

George Harvey - The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

George Harvey, the child killer in The Lovely Bones, is an unassuming man who’s hiding the darkest of secrets. He could be anyone: a man you pass in the supermarket, your next door neighbour...and that’s what makes him the kind of villain that nightmares are made of.

Kevin Khatchadourian - We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lionel Shriver

What’s more unsettling than a sociopathic child with a violent streak and no remorse? This story forces a lot of questions about nature versus nurture, and whether a child can be inherently evil. Kevin’s cold indifference makes him one of the most memorable and unusual villains I’ve ever read.

Lillian Roanoke - The Roanoke Girls, Amy Engel

I read The Roanoke Girls last year and was absolutely sickened by the perpetrator in this tale. But I was possibly even more appalled by the wife of Yates, Lillian, who knew all about what was happening under her roof, who let it happen, and who murdered to protect herself and her family’s secret. Her actions turned my stomach, and as a crime writer, that’s no mean feat.

The Other Sister by Elle Croft is out now, published by Orion. RRP £7.99.

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