A chilling police thriller set in a small coastal town on the Mornington Peninsula, where the discovery of human bones on an isolated beach has reawakened a twenty-year-old cold case…

‘Australian crime fiction has just found an exciting new voice.’ Marie Claire

On the evening of September 22, 1998, three teenage girls venture out for a night of mischief in the coastal town of Blairgowrie. But only two return . . .

For over twenty years the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Cecilia May remains a baffling cold case – until human bones are discovered on an isolated beach.

Now it’s up to Detective Emmett Corban and his team to dig up decades of trauma, and find the missing piece of an investigation that’s as complex as it is tragic.

Does the answer lie with the only suspect, a registered sex offender who confessed, then immediately provided a rock-solid alibi? Or with the two teen survivors – neither of whom can keep their story straight?

But the police aren’t the only ones hunting for the truth- someone else has arrived in the seaside town. And she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to find her own version of justice…


‘A strong debut that marks Firkin out as a writer to watch out for.’ Canberra Weekly on Sticks and Stones

‘A gritty police procedural . . . hopefully this is the start of a great new series.’ New Idea on Sticks and Stones

‘This twisted and thrilling novel is a must-read for any fan of true crime.’ Stellar Magazine on Sticks and Stones

Katherine Firkin is a Melbourne journalist, currently with CBS New York. She has over a decade of experience and has worked across every medium – print, online, television and radio. During this time, she covered some of Victoria’s most notorious criminal affairs, including the death and funeral of underworld figure Carl Williams. She has also worked for Seven West Media (7 News, 7 Sport), 3AW Radio, the Nine Network’s Today show, and Network Ten, and has been a regular international correspondent for multiple global outlets. Her debut novel, Sticks and Stones, was inspired by the many criminal trials she has covered.