Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The House of Now and Then
The House of Now and Then
The House of Now and Then
Ebook404 pages6 hours

The House of Now and Then

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

You should leave the past in the past ... or should you? A vividly told, jaw-droppingly twisty and wholly engaging story about the consequences of discovering the truth. For readers of Sally Hepworth, Nicola Moriarty and Adele Parks.


SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023

After a humiliating public scandal, Olivia is hiding from the press in a remote Tasmanian house when an unknown man knocks on her door, seeking Pippa, a woman who once lived there. His father, Jeremy, has died, leaving behind a letter for this mysterious woman. Olivia wants to help, but can she risk revealing her own sordid past?

Thirty years earlier, bohemian wild-child Pippa and her best friend Jeremy spend a perfect summer in the house. Pippa falls deeply in love with local boy Leo, and they begin to plan a life of adventure together, much to the displeasure of his conservative and controlling family. One night Leo leaves the house to confront his parents ... and is never seen again.

As Olivia is drawn into solving the mystery, the unexpected and tragic story of Pippa, Jeremy and Leo is slowly uncovered. At the same time, a path to reclaiming her own life opens, if only she has the courage to take it.

PRAISE:

'Debut novelist Jo Dixon delivers on every front with this impossible to second-guess thriller...' - Australian Women's Weekly

'This intriguing, decades-long mystery combines endearing but flawed characters, deadly secrets, and a deliciously twisty plot' - Sarah Barrie, author of Unforgiven

'A page-turning debut with a genuinely satisfying ending.' - Kelli Hawkins, author of Other People's Houses

'A compelling mystery filled with vivid characters, a gorgeous setting, and twists in its tail. A great read which explores public versus private lives and where running away can't erase the truth.' - R.W.R McDonald, author of The Nancys

'The House of Now and Then is a compelling mix of mystery, love and intrigue. I devoured it in one sitting. A brilliant debut from a writer to watch.' - Mary-Lou Stephens, author of The Last of the Apple Blossom

'An absorbing, character-driven mystery with a finely drawn sense of place that builds to a twist-filled and wholly satisfying conclusion.' - Dinuka Mckenzie, author of The Torrent

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2023
ISBN9781867250319
The House of Now and Then
Author

Jo Dixon

Jo lives in rural Tasmania, where she wrangles an ever-growing collection of animals and is kept busy transforming blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. She has been a dental assistant, an event coordinator, and a sales rep in the travel industry. Now she writes full-time, creating twisty, suspenseful stories that feature flawed characters who've made mistakes, but who turn out to be stronger than they think. Jo's debut novel The House of Now and Then was released in 2023. A Shadow at the Door is her second book. You can find Jo on Instagram at @jo.dixon.writes; on Facebook at Jo Dixon, Writer; or on her website jo-dixon.com. Photo Credit: Karen Brown Photography

Related to The House of Now and Then

Related ebooks

Suspense For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for The House of Now and Then

Rating: 3.2 out of 5 stars
3/5

5 ratings1 review

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was OK, I suppose. It was set in the present day with Olivia hiding out in Elouise's house after unwelcome social media attention/demonization, and then also in 1985/6 when Pippa and Jeremy were house-sitting there for Louise and a young man went missing. I liked the Olivia sections and the way her character repaired itself and gained determination. I never really warmed to Pippa, although I think we were meant to. The plot made sense, although it was slow to get going and then a lot was packed into the last third.

Book preview

The House of Now and Then - Jo Dixon

Febook_preview_excerpt.html}۲ƕݯ@/QH2H[楃ݚ- ȪB rKOy|k3:M1EB}Y{K}qo_~q_}OՏ?|[}_b^4|ƹ CT:8Uq_ůG~m;4iJ}\bu S5ǰ:/ۇ>kUmǦ KnxYv8W0M.x&ts業+~N1.{u8WT*` MU_R[xu10/X-2*Ma8G\OsN> /ei%4 ډkxZ^/޶C3_ڱ=iU5G= _؅>V4fbNXޯ',vV\b.ߌKƮxS8wsߛW wv=Z%2R5]g74z KťCK C5v^6zn}#_;JTAfxJ*oC{,K |/bc `f19ᄆ?BD+{H-zڷ]jM ۿ/n˅ Wj>_vjY!ڲS;ߥ3lNʗkQ77^ԭ|G~a u6-iH+.Ә o+>|TW/S GF;+@9tPq]c!13,W#9щ議hڙțvkku]Oz!|  :ʗCypc)]9vY8Efb&sۏI]1[J e6|=j5k}%iFwQM]3 ^Q|i:i吮\K_A} Uc mMO1ںr˭baiieشiN( V;{;4NXg=,,T*|nsŘdrZaJ+V>aq2_6M/G@0I{Z$Cqмs_t%W\$@ 5qMwH[Bf>%SJ\1>faOԫi19\M7,7&MS>عi[1#\ނ^$)7p #N,89jMusAlpM"ϑD+%tEm  |\?d=X̝[(52`$մvpq>&= AY|4BX}-kaZԋbC|C`a$`VYJ xZC#^7Oܝɼ9%~C[CrXhooR`esyD,omBO=$2@!-anj*lZM!XJk CD QO6b{ 9*)NIu|LGрWZ?Y`gj+DT5nxl򈸝19BXRBbX5ӯ1Csr$bW)ػL=%qv[H쫽cx޻z[% G3c2% ,iI@PGk *q]te&RhJxNtuT3 ¦5)}cdpN3u9 T㔞[}r|u܄=BcA Uʍ8X_b[5Q+wx\[/zl0mQWtrNc =:ה®od΁pZ-c[%Rѷ\fX2/t #$;T$n$ug 70Tsrm͆\[9VZ/eaCg xg=:3/F`vծ Hg1̕cw ڎq,=:AF Rj'} `֠ƅU I5e#^ӶؓǶfbNܑ૾.mV_wbTO7)nx &B 8X3WFLQgiNV!Ce",1oe\NǎMk˜Vkav ]7 M gA`mvߘS w2.U#_ZM3ů EIpX B:P'akGQX2=a={M, IuD3Pp#tau{K41򓯹`cw` 4n1" :𙤔E~zΑ N{}<4ZbJ lR"5;0v3U䠨Bً]‘`_؏>m26NQ r |&ixα "DKf%~;L,i KRI^\Bzv* NkSamNJPEAcGFaYkJ*2{6[=6ݮ2 FqB3 j#7ENAGigђl7h;`٥cy);Ku`I׹\C? -'9s)u$<_0yXu?̖8J=#w: چvt| QK6ڌW vaɂMQ/w.w(br8U %kR?gOgzOh@b̭0mH~럿!L&nl 7HgʱoP'uiai3ͨپ/e[ 9I&S›еW;=+) IM02LFK F1T4i=.;>-1dĩ[wV* 8jךm`ҢXEdRPxa,kDflR ?Iu^님q"2ש[$15}l\Onw9])\ o:P@SEY&BҦ&AY ſn֪/*]Œ~L- `mH tXk(~f+vM͞"j}LGK}zr 21q@8@ 虼|]޽DRvC&f J ,70`(XsHw_QÏXQ=TSH~-2B9? /ygz&֝ pbAy&~ĕԱjjJ$?S!`B]w讈8>Iy$ϧB~ѭkÕ TsSoR s=UF3!ޡ*'tUE;0 b4FŹf bsd3ly~d1YʱO bU0C|`ŃB|  )m' 1zX,KʷنǴ*n4ԇA0U7oSO$ov܃").JHdcȼfaD!iDY[|cB?it[<"u[e^Lwu iٳ}gP@&fC[\ebxW!.pvg*$/S 2}n=}X[HPBo&-ޞ4 ՞63i Ƽ͹"m:9W`f _RTdͻd%*f~`yJ:Fb83~إ䢟8dY5W+@O~MjP')JHq97_ous9 :ځS>e?RUu&_Rk UhZFVUmzRCpTX;̛d9R/uL(% io|"XzF/LF[u@Mib8m \e-:*}xf\uWe!:۩P7x;HLOˮpFB!LU@O_U|> B$%j¢_MdM瞩TK׊ު=|[/ gsRk?er[ N9)0?$r'av&#)Òkl%V5ZO`{b93EPU}kWWw[7d츘[0a.%izI`)g{&D:AB*[2ʼnQ-*"N[~쳖蔗 V /z#gL `?:XGquJD'+ﴡet@SɄygUѪt,l'WŎtUa+9e 0qpjϦ؅OLde:Petr|F umdMq4q{bqeRT#:N!ogd-:N}}#8أ!Vj4axS+yn],,Kю9\ᛩ}Nie^ IX!k[fWݓPC  8{{-9a$-"iz;K pY=pKebgT㄀pեօ[" /ŊqJ[`2^}kɍ8A(zi/l5t2lR+`/GboM::}I_ sJ |"JgC%iÐUlhLe,ރ[_;ۏFཕ":$(ZOCo"_:ۃ-YSPz)̝Ur'5vM6u2V/"N  QyT)1ȣҚ}b\xޠ@AtLyL,,3"ϊ@!ԓPW~$ړ{ *Nk?Y\l} ƚ*e| ޲=v]@.9%͓?]k*Ȱ'yJ|T`G59ZzE:澩o~M?E%w isy6}u9sE|ܠ&?`ĉo/`ň^I-l;#vbRуJ4$[74W,g6aO`pI0 cM;ÜYk=Ԟfcِ/ JR䚿<` K\?߲X4Mp,/UJ Ͼ lK<ښybhoZTѬM\>smW֛nNK,3kdoM9jMR>A+ij_J w՜2Y:@7ZEۘ+\#B| GQB7f0+/fh%OrK{*NPu8%7:]R'”dS`fK.%ޑ4NI$o(9?5-;;Qh^dG/},,Zjj2ÉCd"B)S^jD9`WDtYGy㺻q_Z*kQڷ]ɚ˘11<l*Cs") ۿ*ȖBjVg/ %$X6c3B9;Bi&fzw"W0*0c] Wڏe͏JKW\TaBFdmX3_*_i0*W[ΓjO 1ȴRlv"u>Vn|8#1V##zIRMd '*3YZy=LT[r@cC֫딙kCA,Lc ֻ"tuGf5rh`rXCn'gG+]'uxqS'6i!# a.МXźx~Rin86f4C46w+662\r",at0r_G {=pߞ9Vf?5Q@efj0i${3YG~mO:x@en=; O;r@mWMҍZzo(sjOT-R9kH 6w4u4jf;;eˮ= F1Fo'IUg,쨅D)BNݶVjA̧Im*s ֖+z4HX(ͣ ɠYRB:&Fw3*j/L~u6 MS<:(3D, F\B>ٮJzA4pu9:g sȢq-]\WNxǹۻ1Y?[rL|Ts%EoD"+x,Yp mV'@nr-N{63fUQYR̞w޴QцFPF"?4Ίhds;gjaǞA%pȟ2bQOѨtF^'KK\0rqb1LاuKU1IܞN>G]u,2NBa=X$Mun \͋IufպR .A-'d<˞Y1&goU\ή`χN;וvRy^Όܨ ,#f$ x(;{L?u 4by#;֯321x9Wz5 l2:v :qm1}CSki,G JNٰhٻl%*Ybst4mj{jm<M㛿c)H:fmϲ65J0M\9O%Jéნek mu68ūg,?/g=9١Z>[s:ak׉cGѱIvxTFs vL5G6]@kʝV/b.Y&gu8ԙHΥ>S?#= u\;ch=8-4[ A RU7i5g N Q̨oÃHި]׸j1^ɭLdf+m6)[-V PRwUmds@sZڬp07lb'Z.sn}q60)pK[5n g+I?܂7G`Ek|˄doUOsJٟ+k?n2WXU`a)SX䲇VYBSPz2|j%\hv^A {StʔA`L#`nMM˿KlpdC6nJE`N0@]1 繤#Ӳ!yGwU=eļ-}wf)+b}ړ砙Yr9FsI!G`a!z:}n)w8]GO\K2=6HS#AU2[Xua SrĭiaNJ IG6i%Jbš39ta33jQQH"ˈ~5ѝˮH,1+:Nnej(Z̀ɀk˖a\~]0&uۻWT'' 3Ya!ڋ s`EAEnM%PVnJ/Y"$-`,Y}Qll^VY uc$/e| ^9r]JᛈͰ̷-޵UYS`j}%&c;{k !\n^OHwG4tdX6N-lKGtSJ d]Ko[LbWfp ̕Ufi0bB)|TUY)DLމ:(ApC9`8Ǥ#J TXhiv`!qwc[Erchy?ЫR̛LT݉d")Xcre";pz1.(\QqMYU\fK, ھqN~kXc{(3X5x&EkxY?2 V8O5%vK!׺q[LfIg<'{5&Ify^~.k^s8)̘$'bf}沂f,ߦyeTs oddXX@軅!2/GEaN#MOqجTMA8~󒬖=y+抟#*n-qPTx!k NVNMҔc{(Rxm cr'SVAK\ֈ{>0_z!>-Y5SjpW/Ddڧ~vgYHBR+1̭ X,lnJx9)aa-IM ~G{?nV*Tκy6>V7+"4ac0E20xynUޅ.i)H֒$ܘM:W- 5^׼٫uzH2M5rp*DRsmKنMiEěDr%rӭĊ7("#tLAOy#H+6oDP)?(5it*iUy|Uaae{ 4Ez$j¥17n6Tn}fhRƋ BEF  J+]Iݖٯᴮ,&mϟwѱ#VDUWa؋Qi>yc&UVEEɪm>}vKP%upD3?K ^jGsi%F#?Zir+RaYCn ͚*mǻ 3/[rLr2٨)0VМS[mʫIB*3 xS%;ϭj9in)?6^_)݁@ϋCМվF'L+ENRF>sT&z l]׬ sl=:@A,SRVfUƮ'KyȖN.8V{%H<Iidш$43B ĠwWu!;ȟH(LeIGf9r4N%BKKw0Bi|s`N-wXPƥLMM7Uӥ oV! '_lFj-ȾUF^®ٮ3IT~,àᕚ鏝~3WЖGXf!S9YJYکJ_үqY[=nyv0oo{:v[kh2 [Oye-yocGpkTZ登=@]D!\eŧ"4O{- Z~=ov?6xkK 0m眥c/T7Ԝ7U{ʙ6_sm*K*Qphea(p[__
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1