Anna Bailey

When a teenaged girl disappears from an insular small town, all of the community’s most devastating secrets come to light in this stunningly atmospheric and slow-burning suspense novel—perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng. The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets. When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences. Among those secrets: Abi's older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi's father's mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God's love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders. But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

A Novel

Where the Truth Lies

TALL BONES by Anna Bailey is a firecracker of a literary crime novel, set in a claustrophobic and remote Colorado town, that explores what happens to a fractured community following the disappearance of a teenage girl. When 17-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma (who only has Abi for a friend), compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at the Tall Bones party that night, sets out to find the truth about what happened. But as the details unfold, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail's family and the people of Whispering Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences. Among those secrets are those harboured by the members of Abi's family: her older brother Noah's unworldly yet horribly dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a Romanian immigrant who recently entered town; her 12-year-old brother Jude, who is filled with a shining goodness yet walks with a stick because his father threw him down the stairs and their mother Dolly turned away. And what about Dolly, who married the bible-bashing Samuel on a whim, and now has a frozen heart and watches her children unravel? Not to mention the crazy pastor who incites hatred, filling his congregation with tales of fire and brimstone. Dark and atmospheric yet hopeful through the spirit of its young set of characters, TALL BONES is at its core a story about love and hate, acceptance and intolerance, and how religious devotion can manifest as rage and violence with utterly dangerous consequences.

Tall Bones

Chi ha peccato

UN THRILLER PSICOLÓGICO ABSORBENTE Y CAUTIVADOR «Irresistible, convincente». PAULA HAWKINS, autora de La chica del tren y A fuego lento Cuando Emma se separa de su amiga Abigail durante una fiesta nocturna en el bosque, en la que todos han bebido más de la cuenta, todavía cree que sus vidas están a punto de empezar. Pero Emma no volverá a ver nunca más a su amiga. Sin embargo, lo que ocurre a partir de este momento en Whistling Ridge, un remoto y claustrofóbico pueblo de Colorado, es mucho más que la historia de una chica desaparecida. Es una historia de rencores y secretos, resentimientos y rabia, amor y mentiras. La desaparición de Abigail hará que la fachada de hipocresía y fervor religioso, que domina a los habitantes del pueblo, se desmorone y que la lucha de Emma por descubrir la verdad convierta a todos los vecinos del pueblo en sospechosos y cómplices de la tragedia. La crítica ha dicho: «Irresistible, convincente». Paula Hawkins, autora de La chica del tren y A fuego lento «Una primera novela impactante, una mirada escalofriante en un mundo opresivo donde los pensamientos negativos y las malas acciones ondean por debajo de la superficie, sin ser vistas». The Observer «Imparable y conmovedora». Literary Review «Hermosamente escrita y muy conmovedora, un gran debut». The Guardian «Uno de los debuts más interesantes del año». Sunday Express «Inteligentemente escrito, el debut de Anne Bailey pone el foco en el lado más oscuro y opresivo de una pequeña comunidad». The Independent «A la vez amenazante e inquietante, un debut atmosférico y convincente». Daily Mail «Inquietante y lúgubre, el camino de Emma en busca de dónde la verdad se esconde llegará al alma del lector de manera conmovedora y compasiva». Crime Time «Capta de manera vívida una atmósfera de sospecha y represión». Irish Independent

Quien esté libre de culpa

Blind tro

When seventeen-year-old Emma leaves her best friend Abi at a party in the woods, she believes, like most girls her age, that their lives are just beginning. Many things will happen that night, but Emma will never see her friend again. Abi's disappearance cracks open the facade of the small town of Whistling Ridge, its intimate history of long-held grudges and resentment. Even within Abi's family, there are questions to be asked - of Noah, the older brother whom Abi betrayed, of Jude, the shining younger sibling who hides his battle scars, of Dolly, her mother and Samuel, her father - both in thrall to the fire and brimstone preacher who holds the entire town in his grasp. Then there is Rat, the outsider, whose presence in the town both unsettles and excites those around him. Anything could happen in Whistling Ridge, this tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark.

Jenn Ashworth

Kerry Andrew

Vanessa Onwuemezi

Saba Sams

A woman, exhausted by work and motherhood, hires the services of a sinister firm that promises her a brand-new life… Journeying across America to make a claim to an inheritance, a man must confront the shame and bigotry that has haunted his family for generations… A picture-perfect holiday threatens to unravel as two daughters come to terms with the uneasy dynamic of their new blended family… The stories shortlisted for the 2022 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University take readers on a journey through uncertain terrain: times and places at once familiar yet deeply unsettling. From the queer love story playing out against a desolate and disease-ravaged landscape, to a man’s earnest hunt for the killer of a boy who died in his arms, these stories are about outsiders, who seek safety and security in worlds that are chaotic, unfathomable, sometimes beautiful, and often brutal. AUTHORS: Saba Sams, Kerry Andrew, Jenn Ashworth, Anna Bailey and Vanessa Onwuemezi.

The BBC National Short Story Award 2022

When a teenaged girl disappears from an insular small town, all of the community’s most devastating secrets come to light in this stunningly atmospheric and slow-burning suspense novel—perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng. The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets. When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences. Among those secrets: Abi’​s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’​s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders. But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

A human, a house, a mouse and a dollhouse. Country life isn't always as quiet as one might assume. Three days and nights of mysterious events take place which unravel curiosity, mischief, and laughs. Just like humans - mice are not all the same and have varying tastes and personalities. This story unfolds two perspectives of the same events with lessons learned, some things lost, and problems solved with learning to move forward on to the next adventure. Join the human on her quest to solve the mystery and meet a delightful pair of mice, who happen to have very good taste and style.

Anna Bailey

About

Books

Join the club