Lowbridge

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION

Where everybody knows everyone, how can somebody just disappear? A missing girl. Decades of silence. A secret too big to bury.    1987: It’s late summer and a time of change when 17-year-old Tess Dawes leaves the local shopping centre in the sleepy town of Lowbridge and is never seen again.   Tess’s unsolved disappearance is never far from the town’s memory. There’s those who grew up with Tess, and never left. And those who know more than they’re saying …    It just takes an outsider to ask the right questions.    2018: Katherine Ashworth, shattered by the death of her daughter, moves to her husband’s hometown. Searching for a way to pick up the pieces of her life, she joins the local historical society and becomes obsessed with the three-decades-old mystery.   As Katherine digs into that summer of 1987, she stumbles upon the trail of a second girl who vanished when no one cared enough to see what was happening in plain sight.    Her trail could lead right to Katherine’s door.    In a town simmering with divisions and a cast of unforgettable characters, Lowbridge is a heart-wrenching mystery about the girls who are lost, the ones who are mourned and those who are forgotten. Praise for Lowbridge ‘intriguing and compelling’ – The Observer   ‘Fans of Jane Harper’s Exiles, Shelley Burr’s Wake and Hayley Scrivenor’s Dirt Town will be hooked as Lowbridge brings a tragic small-town mystery and community divide into the spotlight, uncovering long-buried secrets and grief that lingers throughout the decades.’ – Books + Publishing ‘Moving and beautiful. The perfect portrait of a small town and the damage it can do, the lies it makes you live.’ – Adrian Hyland, author of Canticle Creek ‘Lucy Campbell’s excellent first novel is a lively portrait of the friendship between three girls … Above all, though, Lowbridge is a subtle and sensitive exploration of how we never quite leave the past behind.’ – The Times UK ‘A thrilling mystery, Lowbridge is a book full of twists and turns and, unexpectedly, hope.’ – Aoife Clifford, author of When We Fall ‘Lowbridge will stay with me. Seamlessly interwoven timelines pull readers into the mystery at the heart of the town. Lucy Campbell has crafted a passionate exploration of women’s fights for safety, rights, and each other.’ – Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of Dark Mode ‘Lowbridge is a compelling mystery with vividly drawn characters, a gripping tale with a commentary about class in Australia. I loved it.’ – Mali Waugh, author of Judgement Day ‘A total page-turner, where the past and present collide with spectacular force.’ Christine Keighery, author of The Half Brother

Author Biography

Lucy Campbell has worked as a writer and sub-editor across magazines, newspapers and non-fiction books. Lowbridge is her first novel. She lives in Canberra with her husband and three children.