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About The Book

Some secrets you try to hide. Others you don’t dare let out …

Twin Peaks meets The Dry in a deliciously dark and twisted tale that unravels a small Australian country town

Ambitious young journalist Marlowe ‘Lo’ Robertson would do anything to escape the suffocating confines of her small home town. While begrudgingly covering the annual show for the local newspaper, Lo is horrified to discover the mutilated corpse of her best friend – the town's reigning showgirl, Lily Williams.
Seven strange symbols have been ruthlessly carved into Lily’s back. But when Lo reports her grisly find to the town’s police chief, he makes her promise not to tell anyone about the symbols. Lo obliges, though it’s not like she has much of a choice – after all, he is also her father.

When Lily’s murder makes headlines around the country and the town is invaded by the media, Lo seizes the opportunity to track down the killer and make a name for herself by breaking the biggest story of her life.

What Lo uncovers is that her sleepy home town has been harbouring a deadly secret, one so shocking that it will captivate the entire nation.

Lo’s story will change the course of her life forever, but in a way she could never have dreamed of.


Introduces a bold, headstrong yet vulnerable protagonist in Marlowe and the pages spark with cracking dialogue, packed with unexpected twists…’ Books+Publishing

‘Addictive … West has a clear ability to spin a complex and compelling thriller. One to watch.’ The Australian

About The Author

Nicola West grew up in a bucolic coastal town in New South Wales. After moving to Sydney to pursue a career in journalism, she vowed to be as far removed from both her home town – that is, until she found herself writing a novel about it. In addition to being one of eight young writers chosen to take part in Express Media's 2018 Toolkits: Fiction program, Nicola was also selected for the Australian Society of Authors' 2019 Award Mentorship Program. She was a mentee of bestselling author Monica McInerney. Her debut novel, Catch Us the Foxes, was published in 2021. For more, visit www.nicolawestbooks.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (July 7, 2021)
  • Length: 384 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781760857479

Raves and Reviews

Introduces a bold, headstrong yet vulnerable protagonist in Marlowe and the pages spark with cracking dialogue, packed with unexpected twists…’

– Books+Publishing

‘Addictive … West has a clear ability to spin a complex and compelling thriller. One to watch.’

– The Australian

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