Lamiyah Barnard

When a luminous stranger arrives on the farm, Stella’s father stays sober and her mother begins to laugh again. But the man with the silver cross has not come to save them. as jerry slithers his way into their hearts, his own dark wounds begin to show. stella must shut up and watch him strangle her family or use the truth to fight for their lives.

16-year-old amateur detective, Claire Abrahams, finds her neighbourhood’s lost things. When the neighbourhood’s beloved dog Optel goes missing, Claire is determined to track her down. This search unexpectedly opens old wounds when Claire finds clues relating to her older brother, Jonah, who disappeared nine years ago. Through bizarre encounters and quirky neighbours, the two cases intertwine. Claire’s father, John, fears that she is putting herself in danger. He attempts to hinder her investigations, but she remains undaunted. Claire must journey through grief and hope to find Optel and uncover the truth behind Jonah’s disappearance.