A Bad, Bad Place

A moving evocation of working class lives. It’s clever, honest, heart-rending and funny too. It doesn’t shy away from the darkness but it also reveals the love and compassion that sustain people. And it’s wonderfully twisty too, giving our assumptions a good shake-up. * Val McDermid, international No.1 bestselling author of Past Lying *
The very best writing can transport you through time and place - well A Bad Bad Place took me to Glasgow, to 1979 and to a young girl who discovers a brutal murder, the repercussions of which resound across a troubled community. It’s hard to believe this richly authentic, funny, moving and insightful story, beautifully written in local dialect, is actually a debut. Bravo Frances Crawford! * Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal *
‘Gripping, gruesome, and so gritty you can smell it. A visceral and exciting debut.’ * Belinda Bauer, bestselling author of Snap *
A Bad, Bad Place will stay with me for a long, long time. The writing is raw and visceral, and the story richly layered. One to watch. * Jennie Godfrey, No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things *
A tense mystery that’s full of heart, warmth and humour, I adored this book. Janey Devine is one of my all-time favourite characters – an absolute triumph! * Andrea Mara *
From the first couple of chapters, Janey and her fierce granny Maggie instantly had my heart. I loved the strong sense of time and place in Crawford's debut. The book says much about class, gender and society in 1970s Glasgow while also divining a balance between movingly poignant and blackly funny. It's a high-wire act that few seasoned writers manage to perfect. Propulsive, transportative and full of great twists, the way any brilliant crime novel should be. * Tanya Sweeney *
I loved this book. Real people, their voices as true and unique as the time and place they inhabit. Twelve year old Janey Devine and her Nan are so real, the horror they find themselves in so terrifying, that it feels as though you’re there with them. I haven’t read anything quite as unique as this since Trainspotting. * Lin Anderson *
Thoroughly enjoyed this compelling debut...another addition to the brilliant crime writing coming out of Scotland now, gritty with two unique voices and an authentic working-class feel, it's sure to be on the prize lists next year. * Trevor Wood *
Terrific! I got a glimpse of the beginning of this one and immediately fell in love with the characters and Frances Crawford’s unique voice. Her debut is everything I hoped it would turn out to be. * Mari Hannah *
An incredible book, I loved it from the first line. Janey and Maggie are probably the best unconventional protagonists in a crime novel I’ve ever come across, each of their voices pitch perfect – an amazing feat, a testament to Frances Crawford’s undeniable talent and skill. Possilpark of the seventies is conjured with an unflinching eye, rich in detail but free of nostalgia. A Bad, Bad Place is a must read for fans of Kirkland Ciccone and Ely Percy. * Callum McSorley *