Good Girl Bad (53)
Then her best friend is found murdered. Fuelled by disinterest from the police, Natalie begins her own hunt for the murderer. But when clues point to her new lover, her carefully regulated world starts to unravel. And the truth will threaten more than her sanity…
Praise for The Lost Boy
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“This story was intense and sorrowful. I connected with Olivia and Nick, and even after finishing the story, my soul is heavy, and my mind swirls. This author is thought-provoking, and her writing is deep and powerful.”
★★★★★ Amazon review
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“Really enjoying S.A McEwen's books. They are real, gritty and look at issues in Australian society that are very current. Great depth of characters that show multifaceted ranges of depth and emotions.”
★★★★★ Amazon review
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“A well-written page-turner that kept me guessing until the end. I had a hard time putting it down! The characters are intriguing and well-drawn, and the story has many twists and turns that I didn't see coming.” ★★★★ Amazon review
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“Smart, fast-moving, twisty and dark…perfect for fans of The Last Thing He Told Me and Little Fires Everywhere.” ★★★★★ Amazon review
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“Beautifully written, tightly plotted page-turner.” ★★★★★ Amazon review
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the lost boy
The happiest-looking families sometimes hide the darkest secrets…
In a quiet Melbourne suburb, a young boy vanishes from his front yard without a trace.
Thrust into the limelight, his parents start to unravel. The more time that elapses with no leads, the more public opinion starts to swing from sympathy to suspicion, and the image of the perfect family starts to crack under the increasing scrutiny of the media and the police.
The boy's mother, Olivia, knows better than anyone that even the happiest-looking families harbor secrets.
And the nightmare is closer than she thinks...
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Author’s note
I read a lot of brilliant non-fiction in my professional life. One of the stand out books this year was Jess Hill’s Look What You Made Me Do. I found it fascinating, particularly in regards to the researchers who posit that all violence begins with shame.
I want to acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of people who employ coercive control and use violence against their partners are men. However, I had a personal experience that made me curious about what it looked like in women, and the phrase ‘humiliated fury’ really rang true to me. It’s heavy going, but I highly recommend the book if you are interested in the topic.
I’d also like to acknowledge that I gave Nate a lot more depth, remorsefulness and understanding than the people who send violent messages to women online might warrant (I’m thinking of the work done by feminist Clementine Ford and the astounding abuse she cops on a regular basis). I’m not sure that a man like Nate would really send a message like that, or be so readily reformed. That type of behaviour is usually part of a broader pattern of misogynistic behaviour.
Acknowledgments
To Stephanie—well quite frankly, you get an F for alpha reading this time around, but still a million thank you for talking to me about your work in Men’s Behaviour Change, as well as All the Big Things, All the Time.
Sarah M, Amy Vox Libris, and Kirsten Moore—thank you once again. Your insights and thoughts have been invaluable. I feel so lucky to have you read early drafts and give such wonderful feedback.
To Erica Russikoff from Erica Edits—thank you once again for being generally brilliant. But also for being so encouraging and so interested in my stories and just so lovely. It really means more than you know :) To @rghdrftstudio for another beautiful cover—thank you.
And to all of you reading this book—thank you. I really appreciate it, and I hope that you enjoyed it. x
About the Author
S.A. McEwen writes nuanced and gritty psychological/domestic thrillers exploring relationships, especially within families…with a particular interest in how the dark gets in, and the complex things that drive us toward or keep us out of connection with each other She is a qualified social worker and educator in youth mental health, and lives in Melbourne with two gorgeous boys and a puppy.
If you’ve enjoyed her writing, please get in touch and say hello! The links are listed below.
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