Discover the most unputdownable and gripping crime thriller of the year. Winner of the Joffe Books Prize.

In apartheid South Africa, a young woman flees with a deadly secret. There is nowhere she can go. No one she can trust.  

Augustine is a young mother on the run with a dangerous secret. 

She seeks work as a maid in Greenside, an affluent neighbourhood in Johannesburg, where a wealthy housewife takes pity on her, offering both employment and refuge from Augustine's vengeful ex-boyfriend. 

Augustine is driven by a need to protect her child and is forced to rely on the kindness of these strangers. But even hidden behind the walls of the prosperous Diamond family home, Augustine is not safe. Her every move is being watched.  

In a city where trust is a rare commodity, she’s made a deadly mistake.  

This absolutely gripping crime thriller is perfect for fans of Deon Meyer, J.M. Coetzee, Chris Hammer, Jane Harper, Chris Whitaker or Paul Mendelson. 

THE SETTING 

In the heart of 1980s Johannesburg, where sprawling suburbs meet crime-ridden neighbourhoods, the line between privilege and poverty is razor-thin. The quiet, suburban streets hide dark secrets behind their pristine facades while the streets hum with tension.