Lie of the Land is a dark, domestic literary thriller set in the Black Country in the Midlands, UK. When Rory and Jemma meet, Rory already has a girlfriend, but that doesn’t stop them getting together and, much sooner than Jemma would like, they’re buying their first house together in the heart of the grimy Midlands.

‘The Rocks’ is a run-down, ‘doer-upper’ and right from the off, Jemma is reluctant and unhappy, far from ready for commitment. But there is something about the house that is both compelling and sinister, and the situation takes a darker turn when a terrible accident happens involving their new next door neighbours, forcing both Jemma and Rory to tackle their inner demons.

Themes of toxic relationships, secrets and deceit are intensified by a judgmental narrative voice which propels the plot to its even darker resolution.

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This decidedly bleak 4th novel by a British writer occupies the liminal space between the currently fashionable domestic thriller genre and a sharp sense of gothic horror at times reminiscent of Shirley Jackson … Intense, carried by an oblique and literary narrative voice, this is the stuff of nightmares and a striking portrait of a couple whose sins just won’t let go of them, unable to detach themselves from a living nightmare with inexorable consequences. Oppressive, at times awkward to follow but nonetheless compelling, this is a hybrid thriller cum ghost story that packs a dark punch and will divide readers while deserving attention for its ambition and powerful voice.