The internationally bestselling novel that inspired the Disney+ Original series, The Clearing, featuring an all-star cast

'Past and present collide in this taut and unpredictable thriller' - Chris Hammer, bestselling author of Scrublands

'A dark, chilling, atmospheric thriller populated with mysterious and wonderfully flawed characters.' - Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child

THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

How far would you go to protect your family?

Amy has only ever known life in the Clearing. She knows what's expected of her. She knows what to do to please her elders, and how to make sure the community remains happy and calm. That is, until a new young girl joins the group. She isn't fitting in; she doesn't want to stay. What happens next will turn life as Amy knows it on its head.

Freya has gone to great lengths to feel like a 'normal person'. In fact, if you saw her go about her day with her young son, you'd think she was an everyday mum. That is, until a young girl goes missing and someone from her past, someone she hasn't seen for a very long time, arrives in town.

As secrets of the past bubble up to the surface, this small town's dark secrets will be exposed and lives will be destroyed.


PRAISE FOR IN THE CLEARING:

'A chilling depiction of the ferocious hold exerted by a cult and its adherents. This is totally absorbing fiction' - Jock Serong, author of The Rules of Backyard Cricket and Preservation

'J.P. Pomare captivates in this haunting novel . . . A sure-fire bestseller' Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Mother-In-Law and The Family Next Door

'Breathtaking page-turner' Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child

About the Author
J.P. Pomare is an award winning writer. His first novel, Call Me Evie, was critically acclaimed and longlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award. He was born in New Zealand and resides in Melbourne with his wife. In the Clearing is his second novel.

Reviews
Praise for In The Clearing:
Beautifully written and disturbingly addictive -- Lesley Kara
Pomare's new novel, In the Clearing, is written with a technical aplomb that proves his first was no fluke. There's no doubt about it: Pomare is a master of the carefully constructed, impeccably paced psycho-thriller * The Australian *
There are lots of premium crime-fiction offerings this summer, but this bloodcurdling exploration of the asphyxiating grip of a cult on its followers deserves to be at the top of your pile. * The New Daily *
Clear your schedules, because after reading page one you won't be able to stop. In The Clearing is another breathtaking page-turner from the author of Call Me Evie. A dark, chilling, atmospheric thriller populated with mysterious and wonderfully flawed characters. * Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child *
'Smart Australian thriller ... Amy and Freya's worlds creepily collide in this unputdownable tale.' * Peterborough Telegraph *
Pomare alternates between Freya and Amy's stories in ways that challenge the reader to work out how these two characters connect, gradually revealing the secrets of the past until all the pieces of the puzzle fit satisfyingly * Sydney Morning Herald *
Both his books are testament to the fact that he could be one of the most exciting literary thriller authors to come out of the country * The Saturday Paper *
Still in his early thirties, he already writes with more assurance, and more subtlety, than some of the giants in his field. It seems safe to predict that he will one day be regarded as a giant in the field too * The Australian *
If J P Pomare's Call Me Evie was a slow-burner of a psychological thriller, his follow-up, In the Clearing, is a pared-back firecracker * Books + Publishing *
Past and present collide in this taut and unpredictable thriller ... Twist follows twist and nothing is as it seems * Chris Hammer, bestselling author of Scrublands *
A chilling depiction of the ferocious hold exerted by a cult and its adherents. This is totally absorbing fiction, made all the more shocking by the realisation that these stories recur again and again in Australian society * Jock Serong, author of The Rules of Backyard Cricket and Preservation *
J.P. Pomare captivates in this haunting novel, In the Clearing. I was utterly gripped with the stories of Amy and Freya from start to finish, and fascinated by the unexpected way the two came together ... A sure-fire bestseller * Sally Hepworth *
This story plays on our worst fears - the peril faced by children and young people when predators strike. In the Clearing explores the psychology of cults and the experience of survivors and those who don't make it out. A complex and satisfying psychological mystery. * N.B. Magazine *
Pomare teases out the mystery of both Freya's past and its connection to Amy's story, delivering a thriller that's tense, twisty and eerily atmospheric. * Gemma Nisbet, The West Australian *
Praise for Call Me Evie:
Pomare skilfully controls the drip-feed of information to create a nerve-racking love story that continually blindsides the reader. * The Times *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529306989
Author J P Pomare
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Hodder Paperback
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 240g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 30mm