The Crack

A sleepy coastal town. An unsolved disappearance. A sister who can't forget.

Ren Holbrook was a teenager on a family holiday when her younger sister, Daisy, vanished from Crackerly Bay. With few leads, the case quickly went cold, leaving heartbreak in its wake.

But Ren has always known who killed Daisy. So when another girl goes missing from the same place eighteen years later, she knows Arthur Bicknell's murderous habits have resurfaced.

But Ren is facing uncomfortable questions of her own in relation to her mother's death. This might be her last chance to expose the killer for the monster he is and finally force Arthur Bicknell to pay for the things he has done.

As old secrets and new lies collide, a desperate Ren is forced to ask herself, what lines is she prepared to cross to get her revenge?

A gripping, evocative and deeply felt mystery, The Crack combines a propulsive missing-person investigation with a powerful exploration of family, grief and guilt, keeping you turning the pages right to the very end. - ANNA DOWNES, author of Red River Road

Fast, lean and morally ambiguous, The Crack simmers with unease and will have you questioning the lines you would cross for the people you love. - CANDICE FOX, author of Red Belly Crossing

A sharp and compelling debut, The Crack is a gripping race against time, featuring a morally complex protagonist, a missing child, and the lingering trauma of a sister's unsolved disappearance. - KATE HORAN, author of On the Edge

Tense, vivid, with a devastating resolution. If you only read one book this summer, make sure it's The Crack. - INESSA JACKSON, author of Devil Mountain

Stephens' wordcraft absolutely sings in this slow-burn mystery with a flawed heroine at its centre. - MICHELLE PRAK, author of The Rush