A Bad, Bad Place

‘A moving evocation of working class lives. It’s clever, honest, heart-rending and funny too. It doesn’t shy away from the darkness but it also reveals the love and compassion that sustain people. And it’s wonderfully twisty too, giving our assumptions a good shake-up.’ Val McDermid, internationally #1 bestselling author of Past Lying

'Richly authentic, funny, moving and insightful.' Janice Hallett

'I haven’t read anything quite as unique as this since Trainspotting.' Lin Anderon

'A Bad, Bad Place will stay with me for a long, long time' Jennie Godfrey

'Some novels feel as if their existence required the author to have lived several entire lives before writing them... Crawford has delivered a slow-burn mystery that doubles as a moving coming-of-age tale.' New York Times

'Part To Kill a Mockingbird, part The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, yet altogether incomparable’ A. J. Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

'Gripping, gruesome, and so gritty you can smell it. A visceral and exciting debut.' Belinda Bauer, author of Blacklands

Everyone's talking about Janey Devine…

Glasgow, 1979. Towerblock-wean Janey is out for a walk on an abandoned railway with her dog, Sid Vicious, when she finds the body of a woman - and her innocent childhood ends in a shocking moment of trauma.

Janey’s nana, Maggie, is distraught, especially when the corpse turns out to be a local hardman’s lassie. Janey claims she can’t remember what she saw that day, but the police think she’s hiding something, and they’re not the only ones.

Maggie won't rest until she knows Janey is safe, but she’s got secrets of her own, right bad ones too. As fear stalks the community, Janey starts to remember things she shouldn’t. And Maggie can’t help but wonder if the daughter she loves will ever return to her – or if someone will take Janey away forever.

'A well-observed, well-told account of trauma, grief and the concomitant magical thinking, this coming-of-age mystery has flashes of humour and pathos that provide fuel for real suspense.' Guardian

'This debut novel from an author in her 60s is remarkable.' Wall Street Journal

'Hugely impressive debut novel... It's a damn good read' The Scotsman

'Her debut novel will keep readers guessing, even after the final chapter, thanks to an ingenious ending.' Irish Times

'Frances Crawford’s noir debut is as nasty—and darkly comic—as its 1980s Glaswegian setting... Crawford’s assured voice, sharp observations, and unique characters all shine in this first novel, and I look forward to reading many more.' CrimeReads

'Crawford shows how a single violent act settles into the life of a neighborhood, shaping conversations, relationships and the uneasy days that follow.' Seattle Times