WINNER OF THE VIRGINIA PRIZE FOR FICTION

When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, an apparently straightforward crime soon turns into a baffling mystery.

Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion — and the body count — rises, he’s forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent. Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

REVIEWS

“Nikki Dudley’s latest novel shows that things are not always as they seem… The twist in the narrative is skilfully done and will keep the reader guessing until the very end.” — Ruth Dugdall, author of Nowhere Girl

OF PREVIOUS WORK:

‘Dudley’s indulgence of what the poet Charles Bernstein has called ‘writing centered on its wordness’ gives her poems their depth, their energy, their humour and their resistance of closure.’ — Colin Herd, poet

‘Nikki’s energy rustles behind each line, as she plays with familiar words and makes them at once more explicit and more unknown.’ — skylightrain blog

‘It’s a tale that will keep them wondering, gasping, thinking, smiling, grimacing, rereading. What more can a reader ask for?’ — Mike Lipkin, Noir Journal

AUTHOR NIKKI DUDLEY:

Nikki Dudley studied for her BA and MA at Roehampton, University of Surrey. Published work includes: the thriller, Ellipsis, (2010); Her chapbook, exits/origins (2010);poetry collection Hope, Alt, Delete, (2017).One of Nikki’s poems was also featured in The Blackpool Illuminations (2016);poetry collection (2020).Awards: -Novel, Volta, winner of the Virginia Prize 2020. -Shortlisted in the London Writers’ Competition in 2003 for poetry. -Won the Promis Prize for poetry in the London Writers’ Competition 2005. -Novel, Ellipsis, shortlisted for the Ideastap Inspires programme in 2014. Nikki is Managing Editor of streetcake magazine, which she started with Trini Decombe in 2008. streetcake publishes an online issue every 2–3 months and in 2019, launched the streetcake experimental writing prize for 18–30 year olds, supported by the Arts Council England.She also runs writing workshops. She grew up in inner city London and attended state school in Camden. Nikki has been in love with words since she wrote short stories in her scrapbook at primary school and discovered what a metaphor was.