Two girls, best friends since they were young.  One from a “normal” family, mum, dad and little brother, a safe respectable family.  The other from a dysfunctional upbringing.  A drug addict mother, a drug dealing brother, no safety and security.

But what if these seemingly polar opposite lives aren’t what they seem?  What if the picture-perfect life hides pain and suffering?  What if the dysfunctional family shows more strength and togetherness?

Keely and Jude become inseparable from the moment they meet, almost morphing into one person, their lives so blended together if would seem they can’t ever be separated.

It’s NYE 2020 and when the now 17- & 18-year-olds wake to find Kelly’s boyfriend dead in the corner of the room after a heavy night of drinking and drugs, the girls know they have to stick together to save themselves.  What if one of them is the killer?  What if one them knows more than the other?

A strong psychological thriller that touches on bullying, social class divides, trying to fit-in, and the almost dangerous consequences of obsession and where it can take you.

With a murder investigation woven into the story this is where I got a little lost.  It kind of felt like the story was trying to be both a psychological thriller and a detective/police procedural story at the same time, but together neither was quite strong enough and diluted the enjoyment a little.

Overall though, as a debut novel this was still a really strong read and I’ll definitely read future books by this author.