* THE GUARDIAN 2021 BEST CRIME AND THRILLER PICK *

'An unforgettable narrative voice' Paula Hawkins
'A darkly dazzling debut... gripping' Lisa Jewell
'Gorgeously written' Pandora Sykes
'I loved this book' Clare Mackintosh
'Sharp-edged and highly discussable' Booklist
___________

'So that was all it took,' I thought. 'That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn't so much after all.'

Chrissie knows how to steal sweets from the shop without getting caught, the best hiding place for hide-and-seek, the perfect wall for handstands.

Now she has a new secret. It gives her a fizzing, sherbet feeling in her belly. She doesn't get to feel power like this at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.

Fifteen years later, Julia is trying to mother her five-year-old daughter, Molly. She is always worried - about affording food and school shoes, about what the other mothers think of her. Most of all she worries that the social services are about to take Molly away.

That's when the phone calls begin, which Julia is too afraid to answer, because it's clear the caller knows the truth about what happened all those years ago.

And it's time to face the truth: is forgiveness and redemption ever possible for someone who has killed?

The gripping and dark book club debut with a compelling voice at its centre.
______________

'Perceptive and compassionate' Guardian
'A stunning debut' Washington Post
'Compelling... stunningly powerful' Grazia
'An extraordinary and heart-rending novel' Observer
'Compulsively readable' Ashley Audrain
'This is outstanding... so powerful' Tracy Fenton
'A gripping, unsettling debut novel' Abigail Dean
______________

Readers love The First Day of Spring...
***** 'A powerful, distressing, haunting, but ultimately brilliant read'
***** 'Such a heartbreaking and powerful psychological drama that will stay with me for a long time'
***** 'An incredible book'
***** 'A thought provoking, dark and compulsive read... Highly recommend'
***** 'You DO NOT want to miss The First Day of Spring!'

• We started tracking this book on April 3, 2021.
• This book was £7.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 42 times in the past 1,441 days.
• The current price of this book is £5.99 last checked 6 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past six months is £2.99.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £0.99.
• The lowest price to date was £0.99 last reached on July 31, 2024.
• This book has been £0.99 7 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was £7.99 last reached on April 3, 2021.
• This book has been £7.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Crime, Thriller & MysteryCrime Fiction
• Literature & FictionContemporary FictionUrban
• Literature & FictionLiterary FictionAction & Adventure
• Literature & FictionLiterary FictionPsychological

• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 391 Pages
• File Size: 1,789 KB