A top ten New York Times bestseller. With the haunting emotional power of American Dirt and the atmospheric suspense of Where the Crawdads Sing: a compulsive debut novel that explores the aftershock of a brutal crime on the women of a small Texas oil town.

‘The very definition of a stunning debut’ Ann Patchett

‘Brilliant, sharp, tightly wound, and devastating’ Elizabeth Gilbert
‘Quite simply one of the best books I’ve ever read’ Jeanine Cummins, author of American Dirt

Mercy is hard in a place like this. I wished him dead before I ever saw his face…

In a place like Odessa, Texas choosing who to trust can be a dangerous game.

Mary Rose Whitehead isn’t looking for trouble – but when it shows up at her front door, she finds she can’t turn away.

Corinne Shepherd, newly widowed, wants nothing more than to mind her own business, and for everyone else to mind theirs. But when the town she has spent years rebelling against closes ranks she realises she is going to have to take a side.

Gloria Ramírez, fourteen years old and out of her depth, survives the brutality of one man only to face the indifference and prejudices of many.

When justice is as slippery as oil, and kindness becomes a hazardous act, sometimes courage is all we have to keep us alive.

In the rural and regional landscapes of Texas, the social and ethnic relations are put to the test. The narrative, deeply rooted in the literary fiction genre, explores the harsh realities of discrimination and the courage it takes to stand against it.

For fans of Kristin Hannah (The Nightingale), Fredrik Backman (My Friends), Elizabeth Strout (Tell Me Everything), Bonnie Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry), and Claire Fuller (Unsettled Ground).

Valentine: A Stunning Debut and a New York Times Bestseller

Valentine: A Stunning Debut and a New York Times Bestseller