THE DAMSELFLY

An unsolved murder. A community turned against each other. A killer close to home…

Katie Taylor is the perfect student. She’s bright and funny, she has a boyfriend who adores her and there are only a few months left of school before she can swap Banktoun for the bright lights of London. Life gets even better when she has an unexpected win on a scratch card. But then Katie’s luck runs out.

Her tragic death instead becomes the latest in a series of dark mysteries blighting the small town. The new school counsellor Polly McAllister, who has recently returned to Banktoun to make amends in her own personal life, is thrown in at the deep end as the pupils and staff come to terms with Katie’s death. And it’s not long before she uncovers a multitude of murky secrets. Did Katie have enemies? Is her boyfriend really so squeaky clean? And who is her brother’s mysterious friend?

With Banktoun’s insular community inflamed by gossip and a baying mob stirring itself into a frenzy on social media, DS Davie Gray and DC Louise Jennings must work out who really murdered Katie before someone takes matters into their own hands…

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What people are saying about The Damselfly

‘An exceptionally good whodunit.’ – Undiscovered Scotland

‘Holliday’s Banktoun Trilogy ends on a dark high.’ – The Sun

‘Thoughtful and gripping.’ – The Sunday Mirror/The Sunday People

‘A suspenseful psychological thriller that will keep you reading until the early hours.’ Dundee Courier (Weekend Magazine)

‘Gut-wrenchingly emotive… a real firecracker of a read.’ – Steph Broadribb, author of Deep Down Dead

‘Raw, twisty brilliance’ – Angela Clarke, author of Watch Me

‘The Damselfly is accomplished in every way; deftly plotted and ingenious, it explores the devastating effects of the brutal murder of a promising teenager on her friends and the community around her. Sensitively handled, with beautifully drawn characters that you can genuinely care about, it’s a compulsive read until the final breathtaking page.’ – Elizabeth Haynes, author of Never Alone

‘Multi-layered, fiendishly plotted and peopled by a cast of characters drawn with rare delicacy and skill, The Damselfly is a suitably gripping and original end to SJ Holliday’s critically acclaimed Banktoun Trilogy.’ – Eva Dolan, author of Watch Her Disappear

‘An absorbing, intense and utterly riveting read, not only the very definition of a page turner but one with an ending to die for. The Damselfly grips throughout then stops you dead in your tracks, beautiful writing, beautiful plotting from an entirely twisted genius of an author.’ – Liz Barnsley, LizLovesBooks.com

‘I simply adore the Banktoun series and The Damselfly was no exception. I read it in a day – this is one you won’t want to put down until its heart-breaking conclusion. SJI Holliday has an exciting career ahead of her.’ – Jenny Blackhurst, author of Before I Let You In

‘The Damselfly, is everything we’ve come to expect from Holliday – unnerving, compelling, and grabs tight from the start. At the end she throws us something unexpected and I don’t mind admitting I shed a quiet tear. Loved being back in Banktoun. Loved this book.’ – Amanda Jennings, author of In Her Wake

‘This is a pacy read: a fascinating ride, and one that will keep you glued to the book, right to the very last word.’ – Michael J Malone, author of A Suitable Lie

‘’Holliday has written another haunting, fast-paced thriller. The Damselfly gets under the skin of teenagers, families and the Banktoun community, showing that nothing is as it seems.’ – AK Benedict, author of The Beauty of Murder

‘The Damselfly is a fabulous, compelling read. Holliday writes with enviable assurance, creating characters that feel as real as anyone you know, and a blaster of a plot that grips you right from the get-go.’ – Ava Marsh, author of Untouchable

‘A heart – thumping thriller, packed with twists and turns, that left me breathless.’ – Jane Isaac, author of Beneath The Ashes

‘The Damselfly is a forceful, utterly gripping story that builds and builds the suspense until the stunning ending that will leave readers gasping. SJI Hollliday’s writing goes from strength to strength. She really is one of the best crime fiction authors around.’ – Anne Cater, RandomThingsThroughMyLetterbox.blogspot.co.uk

‘Intense, unsettling, gripping and dark – another fantastic book by SJI Holliday.’ – Victoria Goldman, off-the-shelfbooks.blogspot.co.uk