Alice Saunders, striking out on her own following the traumatic breakup of her marriage, rents a drafty attic room in a ramshackle London boarding house. Run along eccentric lines by the scatty landlady, the house contains a curious assortment of people. Most intriguing to Alice is Mary, a young woman who is clearly terrified of something – or someone. Alice must sort out her own life before she can help the deeply hostile girl, but what is Mary hiding from?  Why does she react so violently to Alice’s occupation of the attic? And who is the mysterious stranger asking questions about her?

Mary may try to conceal the truth, but a secret so terrible must come out… especially when murder is involved.

‘Tart and chilling piece of superior Fremlin Gothic, with some wonderful characterisation, great comic passages.’ – Sunday Times

‘Fremlin is good at portraying tangential uneasy relationships, and very good indeed at weaving an atmosphere of encroaching sinister tension.’ – The Times

‘Atmospheric chiller.’ – Yorkshire Evening Post

‘The crisp prose style is enjoyable, the characters credible, and the story entertaining.  A good read.’ – Eastern Daily Press

‘A wonderfully well-conceived, menacingly executed tale of despair…realistically rough-edged characters, positively lyrical descriptions of flora and fauna, and insights that rankle: a first-rate piece of work.’ – Kirkus

‘This is suspense and mystery at its elegant best.  The plot is far removed from the traditional, the characters are credible in spite of their oddity; and the suspense leaves most thrillers at the post…well worth the wait.’ – Birmingham Post

‘ Fremlin tells a first-class story that manages to be both funny and frightening at the same time.’ – Today