'Shelley, darling,' Mum said. 'Don't be frightened. He just wants money. If we do everything he says, he's going to go away and leave us alone.'

I didn't believe her, and I could tell from the trembling of her hands and the catch in her voice that she didn't believe it herself. When a cat gets into the mousehole, it doesn't go away leaving the mice unharmed. I knew how this story was going to end.

Shelley and her mum have been bullied long enough. When they retreat to an isolated cottage in the country, they think their troubles are over, and they revel in their cosy, secure life. But one night, an intruder disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties.

'An unusual, completely original and unputdownable thriller. I loved it. It gave me goosebumps, it made me angry. It made me laugh and it kept me up late at night.' Rebecca James

'This gripping young adult novel could be a classic.The pregnant simplicity of Reece's writing is so strong that it's a while before we suspect there may be more going on in Shelley's head than she's telling us.Reece toys expertly with complex themes, notably the dangers of being nostalgic for a past that never existed, and the result is a sophisticated psychological thriller.' Guardian