Little Sister

May 14, 2018
British author Ashdown makes her U.S. debut with a harrowing tale of sibling rivalry. After 16 years of separation, Emily, who’s lived a life of privilege on the Isle of Wight, reunites with her year-younger sister, well-traveled bohemian Jess. Emily invites Jess to live with her as a nanny to her stepdaughter and her toddler daughter, Daisy. All is idyllic for a few months until New Year’s Eve, when Jess is found unconscious and Daisy goes missing. The previously estranged sisters begin to doubt each other as lies and deception replace love and trust. As days stretch into weeks with no sign of Daisy, Emily sinks into despair, and Jess tries to keep the peace. Yet continuous pressure and suspicion—from the police and the press—soon take their toll; each member of the family acts out, and long-buried secrets emerge. Ashdown’s use of Emily and Jess as alternate narrators raises the tension as readers must decide which sister to believe. This is a dark, unrelenting, psychological thrill ride. Agent: Kate Shaw, Viney Shaw Agency (U.K.).

May 1, 2018
Shortly after nomadic Jess agrees to babysit for Emily, Jess' older sister, the baby in her charge, Daisy, goes missing. Unfortunately, Jess had passed out from one of her episodes and can't remember what happened. Emily's stepdaughter, Chloe, was also in the house that night, having snuck in with her boyfriend to liberate a couple bottles of liquor. As days turn into weeks, every alibi seems to crack. Is Daisy still alive? Did someone in the family do something unspeakable to her? What other secrets are being hidden? The book jacket proclaims, You trusted your sister. You shouldn't have. But which sister? What did she do? This gripping domestic thriller is Ashdown's first novel to be published in the U.S. Recommend to fans of Paula Hawkins, Fiona Barton, and Patricia MacDonald.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)