* A WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH * * SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD * 'As moving as it is gripping... I loved it' CHRIS BROOKMYRE 'Utterly compelling' MARION TODD 'Extraordinary' JAMES OSWALD 'Excellent' HERALD SCOTLAND There were good people in The Homes. But there were also some very, very bad ones... A thousand unwanted children live in The Homes, a village of orphans in the Scottish Lowlands on the outskirts of Glasgow. Lesley was six before she learned that most children live with their parents. Now Lesley is twelve, and she and her best friend Jonesy live in Cottage 5, Jonesy the irrepressible spirit to Lesley's quiet thoughtfulness. Life is often cruel at The Homes, and suddenly it becomes much crueller. A child is found murdered. Then another. With the police unable to catch the killer, Lesley and Jonesy decide to take the matter into their own hands. But unwanted children are easy victims, and they are both in terrible danger... Inspired by a true story, and introducing readers to the unforgettable voice of young orphan Lesley, The Homes is a moving and lyrical thriller, perfect for readers of Val McDermid, Chris Whitaker, Jane Casey and Denise Mina.

Based on the true story of a childhood growing up in a home for abandoned and unwanted children, The Homes is a beautiful and haunting thriller.

About the Author
J.B. Mylet was inspired to write The Homes based on the stories his mother told him about her childhood. She grew up in the infamous Quarrier's Homes in Scotland in the 1960s, along with a thousand other orphaned or unwanted children, and did not realise that children were supposed to live with their parents until she was seven. He felt this was a story that needed to be told. He lives in London.

Reviews
A serial-killer mystery and a whodunit, but so much more. Tragic, gritty and haunting, yet brims with bitter-sweet humour and a main character who will steal your heart away -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL
An evocative, compelling and ultimately moving mystery with a captivating central character -- Brian McGilloway
Tense yet tender, as moving as it is gripping... set to be one of the Scottish crime books of the year. I loved it -- Chris Brookmyre
An extraordinary story quite brilliantly told. Lesley is a wonderful character, and J.B. Mylet catches her voice perfectly. I found myself staying up long after lights out reading "just another chapter". And then another, and another -- James Oswald
Heart-warming, heart-breaking and utterly compelling. I could not put this beautiful book down and it stayed with me long after I finished it -- Marion Todd, author of the Detective Clare Mackay series
Amazing. I was hooked from the first page... A brilliant, must read story, all the more powerful because it's told through the bewildered logic of a child. I read it with an ache in my chest for all the Lesleys and Jonesys out there -- Anna Smith, author of the Kerry Casey series
In an unguarded voice that conveys her intelligence and courage while still passing convincingly as that of a smart 12-year-old girl, Mylet balances the whodunnit aspects with the painful lessons Lesley is learning about life... It's a testament to the strength of Mylet's characterisation, and his ability to make us care about her, that by the end of this excellent debut the real question is not so much "Who committed the murders?" but "Where does Lesley go from here?" * Herald Scotland *



Book Information
ISBN 9781788167048
Author J.B. Mylet
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Viper
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 520g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 160mm * 36mm