Rebecca Starford

A twisting, sophisticated World War II novel following a spy who goes undercover as a part of MI5--in chasing the secrets of others, how much will she lose of herself? Evelyn Varley has always been ambitious and clever. As a girl, she earned a scholarship to a prestigious academy well above her parents' means, gaining her a best friend from one of England's wealthiest families. In 1939, with an Oxford degree in hand and war looming, Evelyn finds herself recruited into an elite MI5 counterintelligence unit. A ruthless secret society seeks an alliance with Germany and, posing as a Nazi sympathizer, Evelyn must build a case to expose their treachery. But as she is drawn deeper into layers of duplicity--perhaps of her own making--some of those closest to her become embroiled in her investigation. With Evelyn's loyalties placed under extraordinary pressure, she'll face an impossible choice: save her country or the people who love her. Her decision echoes for years after the war, impacting everyone who thought they knew the real Evelyn Varley. Beguiling and dark, An Unlikely Spy is a fascinating story of deception and sacrifice, based on the history of real people within the British intelligence community.

An Unlikely Spy

A page-turning World War Two spy thriller, based on true events.

The Imitator

New Australian Fiction 2020

It is night. They move with such stealth they could be almost floating along the road. I can't see faces, just the outline of their movement. But when the moon drifts out from behind a cloud, bathing the road in an urgent sort of light, I see how they're all gazing up towards me. 'They're coming back,' I murmur. I turn to Kendall, and she puts her sewing aside, eyes on me. They never waiver. It was supposed to be a place where teenagers would learn resilience, confidence and independence, where long hikes and runs in the bush would make their bodies strong and foster a connection with the natural world. Living in bare wooden huts, cut off from the outside world, the students would experience a very different kind of schooling, one intended to have a strong influence over the kind of adults they would eventually become. Fourteen-year-old Rebecca Starford spent a year at this school in the bush. In her boarding house sixteen girls were left largely unsupervised, a combination of the worst behaved students and some of the most socially vulnerable. As everyone tried to fit in and cope with their feelings of isolation and homesickness, Rebecca found herself joining ranks with the powerful girls, becoming both a participant--and later a victim-- of various forms of bullying and aggression. Bad Behaviour tells the story of that year, a time of friendship and joy, but also of shame and fear. It explores how those crucial experiences affected Rebecca as an adult and shaped her future relationships, and asks courageous questions about the nature of female friendship. Moving, wise and painfully honest, this extraordinary memoir shows how bad behaviour from childhood, in all its forms, can be so often and so easily repeated throughout our adult lives.

Bad Behaviour

Kill Your Darlings, October 2011

Kill Your Darlings

New Australian Fiction 2021 is Kill Your Darlings' third annual collection of short fiction and features some of Australia's best-loved writers alongside exciting new voices. 'This is a riveting, thoughtful collection. These beautiful stories will transport you to other worlds.' - Publisher website.

New Australian Fiction 2021

The stories in this collection explore how characters respond to some of the most intriguing and urgent issues of our time, including genetic experimentation, nuclear fallout, and ongoing and destructive white-settler colonialism. These are also stories about human connection, finding empathy with the natural environment and each other, and the enduring spirt of our society. New Australian Fiction features brilliant writers with distinct experiences, voices and styles from all corners of Australia. Together they showcase the strength and diversity of Australian short fiction at its best. Contributors include: MAAME BLUE — CLAIRE G. COLEMAN — ELIZABETH FLUX KATERINA GIBSON — JACK KIRNE — DARIA LEBEDYEVA — DONNA MAZZA — LAURA MCPHEE-BROWNE — SOPHIE OVERETT — KA REES — MIRANDI RIWOE — MYKAELA SAUNDERS — LAURA STORTENBEKER — JESSIE TU — JACK VENING — MADELEINE WATTS 'If you need any reminder about why fiction matters, read this collection, and join me in grateful awe of these authors.' — Ceridwen Dovey Praise for New Australian Fiction 2019: 'The stories in this collection are nuanced, captivating and accomplished. With the briefest of brushstrokes, they reveal vivid and complex worlds. Australian short fiction is indeed alive and well.' — Maxine Beneba Clarke 'Like the best short fiction should, these stories leave room for interpretation, and echo the despair of the modern age while still providing a glimmer of something close to hope.' — Saturday Paper 'A consistently high-quality collection…the sort of fiction that is firmly grounded in character and narrative.' — The Age / The Sydney Morning Herald 'This volume truly has something for everyone, and is a wonderful wa

A new collection of short fiction from Kill Your Darlings

A childless couple find an abandoned baby on the beach. A father is prosecuted by his small-town community. Two men on the coast share an unspoken love. A young woman has a threatening first date. A writer is terrorised by the ghosts of his fiction. City folk visit a room for crying. New Australian Fiction features brilliant writers with distinct experiences, voices and styles from all corners of Australia. Together they showcase the strength and diversity of Australian short fiction at its best. These stories will move, entertain and enlighten you. Featuring: Tony Birch • Zoë Bradley • Mikaella Clements • Craig Cormick • Laura Elvery • Andrea Gillum • Anne Hotta • Joshua Kemp • Jack Kirne • Julie Koh • Wayne Marshall • Chloe Michele • A.S. Patrić • Allee Richards • Melanie Saward • Gretchen Shirm • Khalid Warsame • Laura Elizabeth Woollett

Rebecca Starford

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