'Shelley, darling,' Mum said. 'Don't be frightened. He just wants money. If we do everything he says, he's going to go away and leave us alone.'

I didn't believe her, and I could tell from the trembling of her hands and the catch in her voice that she didn't believe it herself. When a cat gets into the mousehole, it doesn't go away leaving the mice unharmed. I knew how this story was going to end. Shelley and her mum have been bullied long enough. When they retreat to an isolated cottage in the country, they think their troubles are over, and they revel in their cosy, secure life. But one night, an intruder disturbs their peace and something inside Shelley snaps. What happens next will shatter all their certainties.

About Gordon Reece

Gordon Reece is a writer and illustrator. He studied English literature at Keble College, Oxford, and has been a lawyer and a teacher. Originally from the UK, he lived in Spain for a number of years and emigrated to Australia in 2005. His books include picture books for trade and educational publishers (Pepe in England series for Macmillan Spain; What does your daddy do?, The Runaway Circus and Nog the Nag Bird for Lothian), comics and graphic novels (The Adventures of Count Oblonsky and Petrov, Macmillan, Spain) as well as fiction for adults (The Lift, Ripples Magazine, 2006).