Kirjahaku

'A wonderful, eye-opening debut.' The Times Surely you would like to be immortalised in art, fixed forever in perfection? Sadler's Wells, 1933. I would kill to dance like her. Disciplined and dedicated, Olivia is the perfect ballerina. But no matter how hard she works, she can never match identical twin Clara's charm. I would kill to be with her. As rehearsals intensify for the ballet Coppélia, the girls feel increasingly like they are being watched. And, as infatuation turns to obsession, everything begins to unravel.

'A wonderful, eye-opening debut.' The Times Surely you would like to be immortalised in art, fixed forever in perfection? Sadler's Wells, 1933. I would kill to dance like her. Disciplined and dedicated, Olivia is the perfect ballerina. But no matter how hard she works, she can never match identical twin Clara's charm. I would kill to be with her. As rehearsals intensify for the ballet Coppélia, the girls feel increasingly like they are being watched. And, as infatuation turns to obsession, everything begins to unravel.

An unputdownable tale of obsession, jealousy and heartache against the backdrop of WW2 May 1945 and at long last, Rosamund Caradon is feeling optimistic. As she returns the last few evacuees to London from her Devonshire manor, she vows to protect dance-obsessed daughter Jasmine from further peril. But a chance meeting with a Sadler’s Wells ballet dancer changes everything. When the beautiful, elusive Briar Woods bursts into Rosamund’s train carriage, it’s clear her sights are set on the immediately captivated Jasmine. And Rosamund cannot shake the eerie feeling this accidental encounter is not what it seems. For Briar may be far away from the pointe shoes and greasepaint of the Sleeping Beauty ballet that is so much a part of her, but her performance for Rosamund might just be her most successful yet. This, Briar feels, is a show for a mother and daughter. A dance that could turn deadly… One of Lucy Popescu's Books to Look Forward to in 2024 in Camden New Journal

An unputdownable tale of obsession, jealousy and heartache against the backdrop of WW2 May 1945 and at long last, Rosamund Caradon is feeling optimistic. As she returns the last few evacuees to London from her Devonshire manor, she vows to protect dance-obsessed daughter Jasmine from further peril. But a chance meeting with a Sadler’s Wells ballet dancer changes everything. When the beautiful, elusive Briar Woods bursts into Rosamund’s train carriage, it’s clear her sights are set on the immediately captivated Jasmine. And Rosamund cannot shake the eerie feeling this accidental encounter is not what it seems. For Briar may be far away from the pointe shoes and greasepaint of the Sleeping Beauty ballet that is so much a part of her, but her performance for Rosamund might just be her most successful yet. This, Briar feels, is a show for a mother and daughter. A dance that could turn deadly… One of Lucy Popescu's Books to Look Forward to in 2024 in Camden New Journal

A psychological tour-de-force about obsession, control, and the dangerous relationship between a therapist and patient in 1960s London. Evelyn Westbrook has given up her career as a model and wants to find fulfilment in married life. But when her husband suggests they start trying for a baby, everything begins to unravel. Struggling to cope with crippling nightmares, Evelyn takes the advice of a friend and goes to see a psychotherapist. She is apprehensive about exposing her intimate issues: what she absolutely does not want to do is unearth the secrets of her past. The enigmatic Dr. Daley, however, is determined to take her back there, and she soon finds herself drawn to him. Evelyn's interest in her therapist turns to obsession, and she becomes locked in a powerful relationship where the question of whether he is caring for her or manipulating her becomes impossible to untangle.

A taut psychological exploration of obsession, betrayal and the dangerous relationship between a patient and therapist in 1960s London. ‘Nothing is as it seems in this absorbing psychological thriller—and you won’t be able to put it down’ Fiona Davis, The Stolen Queen ‘An original and perceptive thriller … full of deep, dark surprises’ Lynda Cohen Loigman, The Matchmaker's Gift ‘A gripping historical psychological thriller that transports readers to 1963 London’ Amita Parikh, The Circus Train In the quiet hush of her therapist’s office, Evelyn Westbrook finds herself revealing secrets she’d prefer to keep hidden. Abandoning her successful modelling career to become a model wife for her husband, Henry, has left her days feeling empty. Her mother-in-law is pressing for a child that Evelyn doesn’t want. And her nights are haunted by a recurring nightmare in which she becomes a snake devouring its own tail. As Evelyn’s sessions with the enigmatic Dr. Daley unearth more questions than answers, her interest in him turns into obsession. But is her therapist finally providing the care she needs, or is she being manipulated? A compelling novel about identity, power, and the cost of playing the roles we never chose.

The critically acclaimed novel about obsessive love featuring two ballet dancers, identical twin sisters Olivia and Clara Marionetta, with a terrifying climax set in the world of ballet in pre-war London--now in paperback. The Dance of the Dolls tells the story of identical twin ballerinas rehearsing for Copp lia at the recently opened Sadler's Wells Theatre. Superficially, even their differences are complementary: Olivia aspires to be the perfect ballerina while Clara is rebellious and independent. Clara takes up a relationship with the bohemian and passionate Nathan, a pianist at the theater. Meanwhile, Olivia is unaware that she has cast a spell on another frequent visitor to Sadler's Wells: Samuel, a bashful apprentice ballet shoemaker who steals into the building as often as he can to watch her dance. But as the sisters rehearse, danger lurks. The story of Copp lia and the dancing doll threatens to become a dark and sinister reality. Olivia becomes jealous of Nathan's adoration of Clara, while Clara discovers that being adored can feel suffocating. Samuel dreams of being recognized by Olivia and wonders how far he would go to achieve his goal, while Nathan, a musical child prodigy, struggles to adapt to adulthood and begins to blur the lines between reality and his dark fantasy world . . .

A taut psychological exploration of obsession, betrayal and the dangerous relationship between a patient and therapist in 1960s London… The Model Patient is a historical psychological suspense book club novel perfect for fans of Abigail Dean, Clare Chambers, Florence Knapp and Miranda Cowley Heller. ‘A truly captivating novel’ Matthew Blake, Anna O ‘Nothing is as it seems in this absorbing psychological thriller … you won’t be able to put it down’ Fiona Davis, The Stolen Queen ‘Full of deep, dark surprises’ Lynda Cohen Loigman, The Matchmaker's Gift ‘A gripping historical psychological thriller’ Amita Parikh, The Circus Train In the quiet hush of her therapist’s office, Evelyn Westbrook finds herself revealing secrets she’d prefer to keep hidden. Abandoning her successful modelling career to become a model wife for her husband, Henry, has left her days feeling empty. Her mother-in-law is pressing for a child that Evelyn doesn’t want. And her nights are haunted by a recurring nightmare in which she becomes a snake devouring its own tail. As Evelyn’s sessions with the enigmatic Dr. Daley unearth more questions than answers, her interest in him turns into obsession. But is her therapist finally providing the care she needs, or is she being manipulated? A compelling novel about identity, power, and the cost of playing the roles we never chose. More praise for The Model Patient… ‘An extraordinary achievement of narrative and psychology’ Alis Hawkins ‘Begins as an elegant domestic drama and builds, quietly and inexorably, into a darkly devastating psychological thriller’ Brian Platzer 'Riveting, disturbing, compulsive - Ashe has crafted her finest novel yet' Bonnie-Burke-Patel ‘An unsettling, addictive read of obsession, anger, and the serpent that coils inside us all’ Sarah Clegg ‘A true original’ Cailean Stead 'Brilliantly observed, painfully awkward, and deeply unsettling’ Seth Insua