Description

‘An evocative mystery . . . atmospheric and gripping’ Good Housekeeping
‘A brilliant claustrophobic study of gaslighting and manipulation, as a family’s ambitions overwhelm their better impulses’ Daily Mail
‘Atmospheric and chilling, this is one to curl up with’ Heat Magazine, Book of the Week

TO BECOME ONE OF THEM, SHE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES…

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*

Publisher Review

A powerful and convincing portrayal of the bitter consequences of human frailty and ambition, this novel pulls the reader into its dark depths like quicksand. I couldn’t put it down. * Hester Musson * Utterly spellbinding, this is a deviously dark Gothic tale full of deception and betrayal. Atmospheric and full of secrets waiting to be untangled, I highly recommend it. * 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 * 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 * 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 * A moving tale of class, duplicity and the irreversible consequences of betraying a friendship. I devoured this wonderful book. * Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends * Gothic fiction at its darkest and finest. * Erika Robuck, bestselling author of The Last Twelve Miles and The Invisible Woman * Part gothic mystery, part psychological suspense, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne will settle deep into your bones and stay there long after the last page. * Ashley Tate, Bestselling author of Twenty Seven Minutes *