It was meant to be the perfect year abroad.

Rob assures me it will be an adventure for us: a year in England living in a gothic mansion. He has a new job and, as his wife, I'll support him. It will be good for our marriage.

But as soon as we arrive at the house it starts.

The noises.

The voices.

Why can no one else hear anything?

The boy.

Why can no one else see him?

And now Rob is acting strangely. Distant. Dismissive. When I raise it he gets angry. He tells me it's all in my head. But I can hear the bells in the woods. I can see the boy.

I make friends but I feel they know more than they tell me. Worst of all, they freeze when I tell them where I'm from. Who I am.

I feel myself unravelling. I'm not wrong. There is a secret here that everyone knows. Everyone except me.

This trip of a lifetime is turning into a perfect nightmare.

This gripping thriller is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Claire McGowan, Daniel Hurst, Hailey Smith, Shari Lapena and Shalini Boland.

PRAISE FOR JANE MCLOUGHLIN

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I would never ever have guessed the plot would take the course that it did . . . Fantastic!' Mrs S. Denny

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'McLoughlin's beautiful writing had me forcing myself to slow down so that I could savour the words.' C. Gourlay

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A great read' S. Camp

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I'll definitely be looking out for more work from Jane McLoughlin, I simply loved this' R. McCaffrey