Twelve-year-old Steven Lamb digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. Every day after school, while his classmates swap football stickers, Steven goes digging to lay to rest the ghost of the uncle he never knew, who disappeared aged eleven and is assumed to have fallen victim to the notorious serial killer Arnold Avery.


Only Steven's Nan is not convinced her son is dead. She still waits for him to come home, standing bitter guard at the front window while her family fragments around her. Steven is determined to heal the widening cracks between them before it's too late. And if that means presenting his grandmother with the bones of her murdered son, he'll do it.


So the boy takes the next logical step, carefully crafting a letter to Arnold Avery in prison. And there begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between a desperate child and a bored serial killer . . .

Gripping. Well written, debut novel. I hope there will be more.

I hope you enjoy it too.

Thank you for tagging me with this, it looks so interesting. As my TBR mountain is threatening to take over the house it may be a while until I can get to it.

A really good and gripping story, it had me hooked from the first page.

This is now on its way to France as part of NatalieC7's ABC VBB.I hopeyou enjoy this as much as I did :-)

Thank you so much yorkshire-lass !

Very gripping indeed !

08/06/2017 reserved for letter B in Alphabet VBB round 13

On its way to mysteriousmummy who took it up from the ABC VBB. Enjoy !

Received as part of the ABC bookring thank you for sharing.

I read this book a while ago and loved it, it was an intriguing story with likeable characters and a good twist.

Put into the Crime/Mystery Bookbox.

Received in the Crime/ Mystery bookbox on its return home.
I have never come across this author before and this does look and sound so intriguing. Tempting to zoom up the tbr mountain ....

Well, this book did indeed zoom up tbr mountain (or fell off the top of it into my waiting hands) and so I have now read this already travelled book.

This is not an author I have previously read and so I was intrigued to see what this debut novel would be like and I am glad I did so. A very accomplished debut and I see that she has gone from strength to strength since so I may well decide to try some more of her stories.

Steven is a great character and full of an unsettling conviction that he can set the world to rights and Avery (the convicted child killer) is well set out as a cold, calculating and psychologically flawed character. These two are the main stays of the opposing states of mind and the chapters on each ring well in their context. The ending was neatly set up, though not as unexpected as I may have wished, and was very fitting.

Having read this, I would like to read the other two books in this trilogy but first I will set this book free in yet another bookbox to entrance another reader to follow this author, though I may have to remove a book already within the bookbox in order to do so!

Been awaiting release of bookbox delayed by Covid19 restrictions.
Now on its way out into the wide world!

Happy travels little book.

Received in the 'Already Crossed Bookbox' . Another book with great reviews. I wish there was more time in the day!!

Well this jumped up my TBR pile because I have a plan where to send it next.
I really enjoyed this. A little bit different to many thrillers.

Sending to the winner of the Colour sweepstake. Enjoy!

wow- a letter box surprise, it seems I won a colour sweep- thank you for sending; postage downunder is very expensive

Realised I’ve read this excellent book many years ago. To be released

I love receiving surprise mail, especially books I have not read, thanks again, Edwardstreet!