The Long Water

Author of the Costa-prizewinning, world-wide bestseller The Tenderness of Wolves, Stef Penney, returns to her snow-covered heartland in this tense mystery set in a small Scandinavian town.

Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and glaciers.

It is May in what was once a prosperous mining community. The snows are nearly gone and it's a time of spring and school-leavers' celebrations - until Daniel, a popular teenage boy, goes missing. Conflicting stories circulate among his friends, of parties and wild behaviour.

As the search for Daniel widens, the police open a disused mine in the mountains. They find human remains, but this body has been there for decades, its identity a mystery.

Everyone in this tight knit, isolated community is touched by these events: misanthropic Svea, whose long life in the area stretches back to the heyday of the mines, and beyond. She has cut all ties with her family, except for her granddaughter, Elin, an outsider like her grandmother. Elin and her friend Benny, both impacted by Daniel while he was alive, become entangled in the hunt for answers, while Svea has deep, dark secrets of her own.

With The Long Water, Stef Penney takes crime writing to another level. Gripping and emotionally intelligent, this is a novel for our times S. G. MacLean, author of THE BOOKSELLER OF INVERNESS
Tensions rise and secrets are unearthed but there's also humour to be found Daily Mirror
An atmospheric tale . . . great characters and elegant prose Mail on Sunday
Stef Penney's latest novel takes a multitude of twists and turns, written with a touch of humour that will leave you chuckling Dorset Echo
A gripping tale of community and secrets i Paper
A highly engaging and accomplished novel, a fine piece of craftsmanship . . . this is a book you will surely return to for a second reading Scotsman
Nordic noir fans will enjoy this fascinating thriller . . . A perfect book-club read to spark lively discussion Woman & Home
Takes a multitude of twists and turns ... with brilliant pace, fantastic depth and an ending that will leave you wanting more Woman's Way

Stef Penney grew up in Edinburgh. She is the author of the international bestseller, The Tenderness of Wolves, winner of the overall Costa Award; The Invisible Ones; Under a Pole Star, shortlisted for the Costa, and the historical epic, The Beasts of Paris. Stef lives in London, E.8.

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