TALL BONES
by Anna Bailey (Doubleday £12.99, 352 pp)
After studying creative writing in Bath, Bailey set off for the U.S. and rural Colorado, and her experiences there illuminate this claustrophobic portrait of small-town life on the edge of the Rocky Mountains.
She paints a dark picture of a community desperate to protect its secrets in the wake of the disappearance of 17-year-old Abigail during a party at local beauty spot — Tall Bones.
Her best friend Emma is ridden with guilt at leaving her alone that night and tries to unravel what happened.
The trail leads her to Abi’s young brother, who walks with a stick because his father threw him down the stairs.