The Undoing of Violet Claybourne: The captivating 1930s-set mystery of family secrets, lies and the darkest deception

(Paperback)

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A dark, captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and the deepest betrayal . . .

TO BE 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 . . .


'Pulls pulls the reader into its dark depths like quicksand. I couldn't put it down' Hester Musson, author of THE BEHOLDERS

'Dark, chilling and tightly plotted, this is the perfect read for a winter's night' Sarah Clegg, author of THE DEAD OF WINTER

'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

'Stunning. It's difficult to say what I loved most about this book: The dark and immersive plot that becomes more gripping and sinister with every turn of the page; the wonderful characters... And those twists!... I absolutely adored it' Louise Douglas, author of THE HOUSE BY THE SEA

Reviews

Stunning... a dark and immersive plot that becomes more gripping and sinister with every turn of the page. * Louise Douglas *
Dark, chilling and tightly plotted, this is the perfect read for a winter's night. * Sarah Clegg, author of The Dead of Winter *
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 *
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 *
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 *

Author Bio

Emily Critchley grew up in Essex and has lived in Brighton and London, where she worked as a bookseller in one of London's largest bookshops. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. Her young adult crossover debut Notes on my Family was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, longlisted for the Branford Boase and Book of the Week in the Sunday Times. One Puzzling Afternoon, her debut adult novel, was selected as an Indie Fiction Book of the Month. The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is her second novel.