Cirrus@Austlit

'A compulsive, nail-bitingly tense psychological thriller that takes its readers deep into the heart of a seemingly idyllic intentional community - that proves to be anything but...For readers of Anna Downes' The Safe Place and Sarah Bailey's The Housemate.

'Jo Ainsley has been running for a long time. From her childhood in small town England to art school in London to the messy end of a relationship in Sydney, Jo has chosen to run again and again, each time moving further from where her troubles began.

'This time, her escape will bring her to the remote northwest region of Western Australia, where she must work for 88 days on a farm in order to extend her visa. There she meets an American, Gabe, with whom she has an immediate connection. He tells her of an idyllic off-grid community which seems like a refuge to her. Miserable, desperate and traumatised by a brutal event at the farm, Jo decides to run.

'But the paradisal free-diving haven that embraces her without judgement is not all it seems. It harbours some sinister secrets - and so does Gabe. Jo searches for answers, but is she prepared for what she uncovers? She must decide where her loyalties lie and if she is really ready to confront the darkness of her past...'  (Publication summary)

'Mercilessly bullied in high school, Ava knows she needs to put the past behind her and move on, but she can't - not until she's exacted precise, catastrophic revenge on the people who hurt her the most.

'First, she watches Saanvi. Flawlessly chic and working hard at a top architectural firm, Saanvi has it all together on the surface. But everyone does bad things when they think no one is watching and Ava only wants what's fair - to destroy Saanvi's life the way her own was destroyed.

'Next, she watches Cass. She's there as Cass tries on wedding dresses, she's there when Cass picks out a cake, she's there when Cass betrays her fiancé. She's the reason Cass's entire future comes crashing down.

'Finally, Ava watches Mel. Mel was always the ringleader and if anyone has to pay, it's her. But one tiny slipup and Ava realises the truth: Mel knows she's being watched, and she's ready to play Ava's games to the bitter end.' (Publication summary)

'In real life, they are enemies. Emma the know-it-all, Michael the bully, Fabian the coward, Tessie the weirdo and Sam the mystery. Online they are best friends, with one big thing in common: they are all sure they are adopted.

'When they finally meet, they are horrified to find that the people they have been sharing their souls with are the people they hate. They decide to never speak again.

'But avoiding each other is difficult in a small mountain town with only one high school.

'It's also tough to ignore one another when they each begin to realise that what their parents are hiding is much more sinister than just adoption.

'The five teenagers have a choice to make. Continue to live a lie, or come together to hunt down the truth, no matter how dangerous that may be. Because the real story of their parentage is much more terrifying than they ever could have imagined.

'It is a secret that goes to the very heart of the town itself.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.