Before the Ruins

Engrossing, beguiling, and with an undertow of menace, Before the Ruins is a masterly debut from a richly talented author.` Sarah Waters Andy believes that she has left her past far behind her. But when she gets a call from Peter`s mother to say he`s gone missing, she finds herself pulled into a search for answers. Bored and restless after their final school exams, Andy, Peter, Em and Marcus broke into a ruined manor house nearby and quickly became friends with the boy living there. Blond, charming and on the run, David`s presence was as dangerous as it was exciting. The story of a diamond necklace, stolen from the house fifty years earlier and perhaps still lost somewhere in the grounds inspired the group to buy a replica and play at hiding it, hoping to turn up the real thing along the way. But the game grew to encompass decades of resentment, lies and a terrible betrayal. Now, Andy`s search for Peter will unearth unimaginable secrets - and take her back to the people who still keep them.