Monster Love by Carol Topolski (Paperback)

Nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction, “Monster Love” by Carol Topolski stands as a chilling and captivating literary thriller, delving into the darkest depths of the human experience.

‘I’ve kicked myself that I didn’t do anything about it then. I’ve often thought, what if I had? Would she be alive now?’ Charlotte, neighbour

‘I wonder at how gullible I was . . . because when I asked them if I could see Samantha, just for the record, she said she was playing at the rec with her friends and I just went Oh, OK’ Kaye, social worker

‘You see it all the time in videos and that, but until you’re in the room with them you don’t really know what it means’ Sharon, juror

Samantha, the Gutteridges’ young daughter, has been absent from the neighbourhood for several months now. However, Brendan and Sherilyn appear more content than ever, suggesting everything is in order. Or is it?

To the Gutteridges, Samantha was merely an obstacle that jeopardised their ideal relationship. Yet, for everyone else, her tale could make sensational tabloid news. This time, though, it’s not in a newspaper; it’s unfolding right next door…