What would you do if someone you knew came back from the dead?

“A deceptively cloying and dark roiling undercurrent weaves its way through the core of this taut, original novel, with layered and nuanced characters, complex, slow-burn plotting, and a tense climax. Anna Woods, I’m a fan.” – Nicola Moriarty

Gin is an architect on the brink. LIT, the Auckland-based practice she shares with her girlfriend, Clary, has been precarious since their third partner – Clary’s ex, Billy -disappeared, presumed dead.

Now, several years later, LIT’s financial problems and Gin’s personal debts are snowballing. Clary – emotionally fragile since the disappearance – is growing increasingly remote and elusive. When Gin begins to be haunted by glimpses of Billy, she blames stress and guilt. But could he be back, threatening to expose the past?

Trapped in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Gin’s downward spiral gathers force as she begins to suspect her paranoia hides an even more shocking truth – one that will send her whole life up in flames.

This stunning debut literary-suspense novel from award-winning writer Anna Woods explores the insidious charm of those who gaslight us, and examines the blurry line between love and control.

‘LIT is a highly sophisticated thriller, pulsing with paranoia and suspense, its claustrophobic tension tightening with every page. Anna Woods’ debut is the ultimate slow burn, elegant, compulsive and haunting.’ – Rose Carlyle, author of The Girl in the Mirror

‘Sharp, twisty and atmospheric. Woods is an exciting new voice in psychological suspense.’ – Rachel Paris, author of See How They Fall