'Absolutely mesmerising' - Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb

Atonement meets Weyward in this striking historical debut from new talent Laura Evans about queer love, privilege and the intoxicating dangers of embracing the wild . . .

Suffolk, 1937. During a sweltering heatwave, preparations for a party are in full swing at Snare House. The Winthers’ only daughter, Joanie, is returning from a summer abroad before starting university. Only Margaret, ward of the family and Joanie’s closest friend, knows the truth: Joanie and Margaret are in love and plan to run away together.

But when Joanie’s father discovers their secret, Margaret’s world is turned upside down. Exiled to a tumble-down lodge in the woods with her estranged father and his colony of magpies, she finds herself becoming wild. As the heatwave refuses to break, Margaret must decide whether to give in to her new, dark impulses in a bid to get what she most desires . . .

'Debut novels don't get much better than this' - Erin Kelly, author of The House of Mirrors

'A country house novel with claws' - Danielle Giles, author of Mere