2017 Ned Kelly Award Best Crime Fiction Shortlist

"A chilling novel of our time, with a truly shocking twist." Australian Women's Weekly

When teenage bullying spirals out of control, who is to blame?

Blogger Lizzy's life is shiny, happy, normal. Two gorgeous children, a handsome husband, destiny under control. For her real-life alter-ego Beth, things are unravelling. Tensions simmer with her husband, mother-in-law, and her own mother. Her daughters, once the objects of her existence, have moved into teenage-hood, with their lives—at school, home and online—increasingly mysterious to her.

Then a fellow student is callously bullied and the finger of blame pointed at one of Beth's girls. As an innocent child lies suspended between life and death, two families are forced to question everything they believe about their children, and the answers are terrifying.

As unsettling as it is compelling, The Golden Child asks: How well can you know anyone in the digital age?

A potent story with shades of The Party and Mary Kubica.

Two families must grapple with the tragic fallout of cyberbullying.

PRAISE

"The novel is cleverly constructed, the characters are extremely well-drawn, the use of social media as a plot device is very sophisticated, and the resolution is a genuine surprise." Judges' report, Ned Kelly Crime Awards, 2017

"This is domestic noir at its most intelligent and sharp." Sydney Morning Herald

"It takes 48 hours to pulse through Wendy James' rollercoaster 21st century story about parenting." Australian Women's Weekly

"An engaging and intimate read that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult, with nods to Lionel Shriver and Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap . . . 4 Stars." Books & Publishing

"This book is utterly brilliant." Nicola Moriarty

"Brilliant. Such a clever plot, and such real characters, and so very, very well written." Danielle Hawkins