A dark, captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and the deepest betrayal . . .

TO BECOME ONE OF THEM, SHE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

1938. Gillian Larking is used to blending in and going unnoticed, until she is befriended by her new roommate at boarding school, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can't believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family's faded grandeur, and above all by Violet's beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible incident in the house's grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren't quite what she thought they were. And if she's to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

'Atmospheric and gripping . . . an ideal read for winter days' Good Housekeeping

'Pulls the reader into its dark depths like quicksand. I couldn't put it down' Hester Musson, author of THE BEHOLDERS

'Utterly spellbinding. Atmospheric and full of secrets waiting to be untangled' Louise Hare

'Dark, chilling and tightly plotted, this is the perfect read for a winter's night' Sarah Clegg, author of THE DEAD OF WINTER

'A moving tale of class, duplicity and the irreversible consequences of betraying a friendship. I devoured this wonderful book' Jo Leevers, author of THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU

'With shades of Sarah Waters and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, this is a riveting story about sisters, secrets and the lengths people will go to fit in with others. I raced through it because I struggled to put it down!' Caroline Bishop, author of THE LOST CHAPTER

''Stunning . . . a dark and immersive plot that becomes more gripping and sinister with every turn of the page' Louise Douglas, author of THE HOUSE BY THE SEA