JOANIE, 2013. Desperate to flee the claustrophobia of St Rule, Joanie has long been looking forward to her big escape. But on the night of her school graduation this dream slips through her hands.

Devastated, Joanie falls into the orbit of an enigmatic couple - Erin and David - who offer her a new kind of escape. Charismatic, older and intellectual, they make Joanie feel alive and important in a way she didn't know was possible.

CAMERON, 2023. When Cameron arrives back in St Rule for Christmas a question burns in his mind: what ever happened to Joanie? It's been a decade since he saw his former friend, and in truth he hadn't given it much thought - busily building a life.

But as he starts to look for answers, it becomes clear that someone wants to keep this secret buried at all costs. How far should he go to pursue the truth?

Set amongst the ancient cobblestone of a Scottish coastal town steeped in history, Francine Toon masterfully blends the tension of a mystery with the chill of a modern gothic. This is a story where every shadow holds a secret, and every revelation brings Cameron and Joanie closer to a truth that could shatter their worlds.

Francine Toon's debut novel _Pine_ was a _Sunday Times_ bestseller and number one _Times_ bestseller. It won the 2020 McIlvanney Prize, was shortlisted for Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and longlisted for the Highland Book Prize and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award.

Her poetry, written as Francine Elena, has appeared in _The Sunday Times_, _The Best British Poetry_ 2013 and 2015 anthologies and _Poetry London_, among other places. Her short story 'Ghost Kitchen' was published in the anthology _Of The Flesh_.