‘Powerful story telling with a dark mystery at its heart’ Amanda Hodgkinson, New York Times bestselling author of SPILT MILK Twelve years ago Joycie Todd’s mother abandoned her. But what if she never really left? A tautly written psychological suspense novel, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Alex Lake. London, 1965. Top model Joycie Todd lives a glittering life with photographer Marcus Blake. But her childhood tells a different story…When she was eleven, Joycie’s mother disappeared. Run away with another man, so everyone says. But Joycie can’t forget the thumps she heard in the night, or the bloodstained rug hidden under the bed. A rug that was gone the next day.Twelve years later, Joycie has left her past behind. But when an old friend dies, Joycie is left a letter beseeching her to find out the truth. Unable to keep the door locked any longer, Joycie sets out to discover why her mother left her – if she ever really did.As she travels to the shabby seaside towns of her childhood, Joycie soon finds that it’s not just her mother who vanished all those years ago. Joycie knows the disappearances are connected, she just doesn’t know how. But there’s someone out there who does – and they will do anything to keep it buried.As Joycie unravels the fiction of her past, she finds herself in a world of detective thrillers, where every clue brings her closer to the truth. Her journey is a thrilling ride that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, right up to the shocking conclusion.For fans of Valerie Keogh (The Wives), Shalini Boland (The Secret Mother), Sue Watson (His First Wife), Nora Valters (The Party), and K.L. Slater (Missing).HarperCollins 2022
