In London and an Albanian village, two young women have vastly different lives—but a shocking secret is about to connect them . . . Odeta lives a dull life running her father’s grocery store in a remote Albanian village. So when an enigmatic stranger appears, promising her an exciting career in London, she jumps at the opportunity. Odeta’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expected . . . Kate, a journalist in London, has a seemingly perfect life. But she worries that her son spends too much time online, and decides to disconnect him so Ben can get outside and make some friends. But there may be things she doesn’t know about her own community . . . What connects Kate and Odeta? And can you ever really know your neighbors?Previously published as After Leaving the VillagePraise for Helen Matthews “Utterly compelling.”...

Tessa, a former career woman with long Covid and depression, lives a reclusive life in a London suburb. When her long estranged younger sister Maddie suddenly turns up with a baby, events spiral. Maddie claims she’s fled a controlling partner who is threatening to take the child. Overwhelmed at first, Tessa wants to help—both her sister and herself. But the situation grows murkier. Maddie speaks of a man named Zak, the baby’s father, who isolated and manipulated her. Her story has gaps and contradictions. Flashbacks and Maddie’s behaviour plant doubts. Is she really just a victim? As Tessa gets pulled deeper into Maddie’s account, she begins to question her own reality. Between old loyalty and new mistrust, the sisters’ relationship frays. When Maddie suddenly disappears and leaves the baby with Tessa, Tessa faces a decision: Should she believe Maddie’s warnings? Or is she caught in a game she can’t control?