1938. Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed, until she is befriended by her new roommate at boarding school, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can’t believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible incident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

*LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA DAGGER AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR*
*FROM THE AUTHOR OF INDIE BOOK OF THE MONTH ONE PUZZLING AFTERNOON*

1938. Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed, until she is befriended by her new roommate at boarding school, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can’t believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible incident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

‘Pulls the reader into its dark depths like quicksand. I couldn’t put it down’ Hester Musson, author of THE BEHOLDERS

‘Utterly spellbinding. Atmospheric and full of secrets waiting to be untangled’ Louise Hare

‘Dark, chilling and tightly plotted, this is the perfect read for a winter’s night’ Sarah Clegg, author of THE DEAD OF WINTER

‘A moving tale of class, duplicity and the irreversible consequences of betraying a friendship. I devoured this wonderful book’ Jo Leevers, author of THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU

‘With shades of Sarah Waters and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, this is a riveting story about sisters, secrets and the lengths people will go to fit in with others. I raced through it because I struggled to put it down!’ Caroline Bishop, author of THE LOST CHAPTER

”Stunning . . . a dark and immersive plot that becomes more gripping and sinister with every turn of the page’ Louise Douglas, author of THE HOUSE BY THE SEA

*Selected as an Indie Book of the Month*

It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother – who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community – she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.

When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .

Then Lucy goes missing.

2018. Edie is eighty-two and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There’s a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .

‘A captivating and poignant book, I was completely hooked. You can’t help but fall for Edie’ Marianne Cronin, author of 100 Years of Lenni and Margot

‘This is such a delicate web of a book, a mystery deftly woven with tension and compassion. Edie is a heartbreaking figure, struggling to catch her last memories before they’re blown away forever – her quest/plight is absorbing and extremely poignant’ Beth Morrey, author of Saving Missy

‘Completely captivating. A real page-turner’ Louise Hare

‘Marvellous . . . a special gem of a book, a perfectly executed double timeline mystery with a twist you don’t see coming’ Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon

‘Beautifully written . . . the perfect book for lovers of Elizabeth Is Missing, but has its own distinct voice and charm’ Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends

‘An uplifting, bittersweet story with a page-turning mystery at its heart . . . I was drawn in to Edie’s world from the very first page. Beautifully atmospheric and endearing” Freya Sampson

‘An intriguing, unsettling mystery told over a dual timeframe by one of the most endearing lead characters you’ll come across this year. Utterly compelling, darkly unnerving and a joyful masterclass in storytelling, Emily Critchley’s debut adult novel hits the mark on so many levels’ LoveReading Debut of the Month

‘This truly unique story blends past and present in a way that feels real. Great atmosphere and even better characters’ Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club

Readers LOVE One Puzzling Afternoon:

‘I loved it. I loved it. I loved it’

‘Wow . . . one of my books of the year’

‘A beautiful and touching novel that will completely grab you’

‘Edie Green is one special character & I think I’ll remember her for a long time yet’

‘What a beautiful, emotional, intriguing, touching novel’

‘I loved this and finished it in one sitting. It truly is glorious’