Dear Darling

He is going to prove he loved me. I am going to prove he ruined me.

For those who loved My Dark Vanessa and Three Women, DEAR DARLING is a bold, beautiful and unflinching story about the crossed borders of desire – and one woman’s path to retribution.

Lauren Tan has waited for this day for twenty years.

The day she’d receive the letter saying he was out of prison.

The day she’d abandon her husband and three-year-old daughter, leaving her pretend life behind.

The day she’d look into the eyes of Daniel Prior – her first love, mentor and stepfather, the man she had sex with when she was fourteen years old.

The day she’d make him atone for everything.

Explosive and uncomfortable, beautiful and provocative, DEAR DARLING cuts to the heart of some of the most complex issues of our age.

Reviews

Praise for Ella King:

‘Beautiful, disturbing, impossible to put down … a seriously impressive new talent’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘A chilling literary thriller’ GRAZIA

‘A beautiful, bewitching, unsettling and unputdownable dream of a book … I genuinely loved this, it will stay with me for a long time’ LISA JEWELL

'Searing' ELLE

‘Paring-knife sharp’ ABIGAIL DEAN

‘A blistering thriller’ NEW YORK TIMES

‘Disturbing, poignant and memorable all at once' OBSERVER

‘Mesmerizing, dream-like and darkly suspenseful’ FRANCES CHA

‘A powerful, hard-hitting and exquisitely written novel’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

About the author

ELLA KING is a British-Singaporean novelist, an award-winning writer, and a graduate of Faber Academy’s novel-writing program. She has worked as a corporate lawyer and for anti-human trafficking and domestic violence charities.

Ella lives in Greenwich with her husband, two daughters and a ginger Siberian cat and she's currently working on her second novel following her acclaimed debut, Bad Fruit. Follow her on Instagram and X @therealellaking.