Good Ones

'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 TownOn 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?

Bold, beautiful, savage and stunning. The Good Ones is a taut thriller, an elegant exploration of loss and the haunt of past mistakes, and a true page-turning mystery. I adored it., An irresistible mystery, superbly crafted with all the stealth and intrigue of the best Southern Gothics, Polly Stewart's haunting and menacing novel is an event of voice, and a compelling mystery that probes the dark places our minds go when a woman or girl is missing. The Good Ones pokes an exploring finger into old bruises, showing how the small decisions we make can change everything. I read it in a single sitting. , A fantastic achievement. A classic Southern Gothic tale told through the prism of modern-day sensibilities. Not to be missed, The friendship at the heart of this gripping mystery is among the darkest and most complicated relationships I've read. The Good Ones had me suspecting everyone in Tyndall County, only to be proven wrong by an ending I never saw coming. Polly Stewart is an author to watch.

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.