Dear Darling

Explosive and timely, beautiful and provocative, DEAR DARLING cuts to the heart of a conversation – and gives a woman her voice. An unforgettable novel for those who loved My Dark Vanessa and Half His Age.

‘A seriously impressive new talent’ CHRIS WHITAKER

'Shimmers with nuance at every turn – absolutely brilliant' HEATHER DARWENT

***

Dear Darling,

So begins the letter from Daniel Prior.

The man Lauren had sex with when she was fourteen years old.

The man she fell in love with, long before conversations about power and consent and #MeToo.

The man she locked away in the deepest part of her memory.

*

Eighteen years later, the world is changed, and Lauren, a wife and mother, is changed too.

But now, fresh out of prison, Daniel wants to meet.

And Lauren must finally confront the electricity and devastation of the man who's loved and harmed her more deeply than anyone in her life…

From bold new voice Ella King, Dear Darling cuts to the heart of some of the most complex issues of our age.

Reviews

‘King takes an age-old theme and makes it truly her own. It's a thriller that shimmers with nuance at every turn – absolutely brilliant’ HEATHER DARWENT

'Written in captivating prose, this is a book that probes complex issues in a way that is both timeless and very much of our age’ HARPER'S BAZAAR

‘An unforgettable novel, challenging uncomfortable themes with a clever, fresh perspective' CALLIE KAZUMI

More 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 the acclaimed author of Bad Fruit. Her essays on race and motherhood have been featured in Shado, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar and she has taught at Faber Academy, University of Arts London and Spread the Word. She has also worked as a corporate lawyer and for anti-human trafficking and domestic violence charities.

@therealellaking