The Good Ones: A gripping thriller about a missing woman and dark secrets in a small town (Paperback) - Polly Stewart

What really happened to Lauren Ballard? A page-turning mystery s immering with secrets and suspense, perfect for fans of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.

'Stunning . . . a true page-turning mystery. I adored it'

CHRIS WHITAKER, author of We Begin at the End

'An irresistible mystery, superbly crafted'

ANNA BAILEY, author of Tall Bones

'Compelling . . . I read it in a single sitting'

HAYLEY SCRIVENOR, author of Dirt Town

'Gripping . . . an ending I never saw coming'

ANA REYES, author of The House in the Pines

A dark, compelling thriller about a small town simmering with secrets, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.

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EVERYONE IN THIS TOWN HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE.

On a hot August day, Lauren Ballard mysteriously vanished from her home, leaving signs of a violent struggle.

Sixteen years on, still haunted by her friend's disappearance, Nicola Bennett returns to her hometown. For Nicola, Tyndall County has remained frozen in time. Everywhere she turns she's reminded of Lauren. Yet startlingly, her former friends and neighbours have all moved on.

Nicola begins to trace over the events of that summer, hoping to discover a clue to Lauren's fate. Deep down she knows the answers are tucked in the hollows and valleys of this rural Virginia county.

But as secrets come to light and the truth begins to unravel, will Nicola finally break free of the past - or lose herself completely in the questions she can never answer?

About the Author

Polly Stewart grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she still lives. She has an MFA in fiction and a Ph.D. in British literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Her short fiction has appeared in Best New American Voices and Best American Mystery Stories, and her nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, Poets & Writers and CrimeReads, among other publications.