A quiet English town is left reeling when twelve-year-old Daniel Blake is discovered to have brutally murdered his schoolmate Felicity Forbes.

For provincial solicitor Leo Curtice, the case promises to be the most high profile - and morally challenging - of his career. But as he begins his defence Leo is unprepared for the impact the public fury surrounding Felicity's death will have on his family - and his teenage daughter Ellie, above all.

While Leo struggles to get Daniel to open up, hoping to unearth the reasons for the boy's terrible crime, the build-up of pressure on Leo's family intensifies. As the case nears its climax, events will take their darkest turn. For Leo, nothing will ever be the same again . . .

About the Author
Simon Lelic has worked as a journalist and currently runs his own business. He was born in Brighton in 1976 and lives there now with his wife and three children. His first two novels were huge critical successes. Rupture won a Betty Trask award, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger and longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Simon was shortlisted in the New Writer of the Year category at the Galaxy British Book Awards. www.simonlelic.com @Simon_Lelic

Reviews
'Fantastic. Absorbing, moving, hugely gripping' Mark Billingham, bestselling author of the Tom Thorne novels 'Three possible candidates for the Granta U.K. class of 2013 are Ned Beauman, Joe Dunthorne and Simon Lelic. Lelic's three novels are breakneck, intelligent 'social thrillers' that even invade my dream-life' David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas 'Simon Lelic doesn't shy away from controversial issues ... He's billed as a crime writer, but his books are bigger than that. And in his work he finds his stride as somebody who can truly make us examine ourselves, and place ourselves in the scenarios he creates so masterfully. The action, when it comes, zips along at a fair old lick, but it is the thought processes of the protagonists that engage, along with the oppressive atmosphere Lelic has got down to a fine art. Terrific stuff' Irish Examiner 'Gripping ... Lelic, author of the highly acclaimed Rupture, unpicks the layers of vengeance, exploitation and fear that accrue around children that kill, and examines the terrible fall-out for anyone who goes against the vindictive current ... a compelling, thought-provoking page-turner' Psychologies 'Could this be Lelic's breakthrough book? It deserves to be' Guardian 'Quietly excellent legal thriller' Marcel Berlins, The Times 'An excellent psychological crime thriller from one of the genre's rising stars ... Zest, fresh perspective, insight and often quite beautiful writing, something you rarely see in populist thriller fiction ... Lelic's gift is for immediately unsettling the reader. Just who is narrating this? Who are these people? Where is this going? This wrong-footing isn't just gimmicky, however. It's an essential thread in the weave of this excellent novel ... Much of the joy of this book is about the disorientating nature of Lelic's story-telling ... bewitching' Metro 'Lelic was marked for stardom by his first two thrillers, Rupture and The Facility, and he confirms his place at the literary top table with this, his third ... Told with compelling force, and at considerable pace, it reveals the frightening law of unintended consequences: even a good man can be destroyed by the best intentions' Daily Mail 'Simon Lelic's first two crime novels attracted much well-deserved praise. His third The Child Who is equally good ... Despite its dark theme, this stark, powerfully written novel ends on a faint note of hope. Lelic is a writer to watch' Spectator


Awards
Long-listed for CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2012 (UK) and CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger 2012 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780330522755
Author Simon Lelic
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Picador
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 243g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 22mm