We have updated our Privacy Policy Please take a moment to review it. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the terms of our updated Privacy Policy.
‘A beautifully paced novel that will keep you guessing right until the end’ Pam Lewis
When Ann’s granddaughter Ellie, asks for her help on a school project on family history, Ann thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to spend time with her. But as they work together uncovering the past, questions about Ann’s early life begin to emerge.
What did happen to Ann’s first child? Was her life with Theo quite as idyllic as it seemed from the outside? And what happened to cause her mother and father’s acrimonious split, can she really trust her mother’s version of events? And as secrets from the past seem in danger of being exposed, new secrets emerge about Ann’s son and daughter-in-law, secrets which threaten to tear the whole family apart.
As events unfold in the present day and we learn what happened during a summer thirty years ago, Simmons depicts the unravelling of a family in this gripping psychological thriller.
Praise for Kelly Simmons’ writing…
‘Twisty, psychologically deft and wildly original, it’ll have you guessing until the very end. Utterly mesmerizing.’ Megan Abbott, author of The Fever and Dare Me
‘A smart, simmering page turner‘ New York Journal of Books
‘Gorgeously written and fully immersive.’ Kate Moretti, author of The Vanishing Year and Blackbird Season
‘Electrifying . . . The perfect read for a stormy night, Simmons’s suspenseful tale contains nary a wasted word’ Publishers Weekly
When Ann’s granddaughter Ellie, asks for her help on a school project on family history, Ann thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to spend time with her. But as they work together uncovering the past, questions about Ann’s early life begin to emerge.
What did happen to Ann’s first child? Was her life with Theo quite as idyllic as it seemed from the outside? And what happened to cause her mother and father’s acrimonious split, can she really trust her mother’s version of events? And as secrets from the past seem in danger of being exposed, new secrets emerge about Ann’s son and daughter-in-law, secrets which threaten to tear the whole family apart.
As events unfold in the present day and we learn what happened during a summer thirty years ago, Simmons depicts the unravelling of a family in this gripping psychological thriller.
Praise for Kelly Simmons’ writing…
‘Twisty, psychologically deft and wildly original, it’ll have you guessing until the very end. Utterly mesmerizing.’ Megan Abbott, author of The Fever and Dare Me
‘A smart, simmering page turner‘ New York Journal of Books
‘Gorgeously written and fully immersive.’ Kate Moretti, author of The Vanishing Year and Blackbird Season
‘Electrifying . . . The perfect read for a stormy night, Simmons’s suspenseful tale contains nary a wasted word’ Publishers Weekly
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Praise for Kelly Simmons:
'This compelling debut is a clever, nervy thriller'
'Invigorating prose'
'Concise, resonant, vibrant - more thoughtfully drafter than is typical in genre thrillers - and worth savoring'
Praise for The Birdhouse:
'Complex and poignant'
'Beautifully paced... will keep you guessing right to the end'
'I was hooked from the very first page'
'Deeply moving and very powerful'
'Evocative'