The Crack

A sleepy coastal town. An unsolved disappearance. A sister who can't forget.


Ren Holbrook was a teenager on family holiday when her younger sister, Daisy, mysteriously vanished from Crackerly Bay without a trace. At the time, police claimed to have few leads and little evidence, and the case quickly went cold—the tragedy slowly destroying what little was left of Ren's family.


But Ren knows who killed Daisy. She's always known. So when another young girl goes missing from the same small town in similar circumstances eighteen years later, she knows Arthur Bicknell's murderous habits have resurfaced.


Except Arthur's not the only one nursing a secret. Ren is facing uncomfortable questions of her own in relation to her mother's death. Questions which threaten her freedom and mean this might be her last chance to expose Arthur Bicknell for the killer he is and finally force him to pay for the things he has done.


As old secrets and new lies collide, a desperate Ren is forced to ask herself; what lines is she prepared to cross to get her revenge?


'A gripping, evocative and deeply felt mystery, The Crack combines a propulsive missing-person investigation with a powerful exploration of family, grief and guilt, keeping you turning the pages right to the very end.' - ANNA DOWNES, author of Red River Road



'Fast, lean and morally ambiguous, The Crack simmers with unease and will have you questioning the lines you would cross for the people you love.' - CANDICE FOX, author of Red Belly Crossing



'A sharp and compelling debut, The Crack is a gripping race against time, featuring a morally complex protagonist, a missing child, and the lingering trauma of a sister's unsolved disappearance.' - KATE HORAN, author of On the Edge



'Tense, vivid, with a devastating resolution. If you only read one book this summer, make sure it's The Crack.' - INESSA JACKSON, author of Devil Mountain



'Stephens' wordcraft absolutely sings in this slow-burn mystery with a flawed heroine at its centre.' - MICHELLE PRAK, author of The Rush