Blacklands

Written by Belinda Bauer

Narrated by Colleen Prendergast

Steven Lamb digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to lay to rest the ghost of his uncle, who disappeared aged 11 and is assumed to have fallen victim to the serial killer Arnold Avery. Only Steven's Nan is not convinced her son is dead. Steven is determined to heal the widening cracks in his family before it's too late. And if that means presenting his grandmother with the bones of her murdered son, he'll do it. So the boy takes the next logical step, carefully crafting a letter to Arnold Avery in prison. And there begins a dangerous game between a desperate child and a bored serial killer. A game that will have more terrifying consequences than Steven could ever imagine…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Isis Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Mar 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781445001470

Belinda Bauer

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script The Locker Room earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for “Mysterious Ways,” about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales. Her latest novel, Snap, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. 

Reviews for Blacklands

[mlpedler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Awesome debut novel. I just love all of Belinda Bauer's books. She is so original and the narration was excellent!!

[Beverley Godfrey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant. The description of place takes you right there. The balance between character and plot is perfection. The juxtaposition of innocence and evil is chilling.