Bluff

A bravura sequence of adolescent thrill and romantic fireworks that shows Toon at the peak of her powers... What Toon’s really fabulous at… are those compelling teenage relationships that she opens the novel with and whose upshot she unfolds moreishly a decade later. * Sunday Times *
Like so much good horror, this is about guilt and unreliable memory -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *
Skilfully handled themes of guilt, regret and adolescent confusion coupled with dark academia make for an insidious tingle of doom * Guardian *
Toon’s gift for creating an otherworldly atmosphere in small towns with big secrets is present once again in a novel that explores the desire to escape the ordinary * Scotsman *
Toon is great on atmosphere * Mail on Sunday *
Atmospheric... Toon layers unease and memory, crafting a chilling, slow-burn novel * i Newspaper *
[Bluff] explores youthful naivety, adult choices, and how past actions can haunt us for years * Woman & Home *
[An] atmospheric tale of buried secrets . . . This absolute masterclass in suspense is genuinely unputdownable. I devoured it in a day. * The Bookseller *
Explores youthful naivety, adult choices, and how past actions can haunt us for years * Woman & Home *
An utterly gripping novel which keeps you guessing until the end. * Scottish Field *
A taut, eerie exploration of memory, belief, and the treacherous edges of girlhood. Francine Toon has a knack for getting deep under the skin. * Kirsty Logan, author of Things We Say in the Dark *
Dark, beguiling, and steeped in menace, Francine Toon spins a brooding mystery which shimmers with unease. It perfectly captures that dread of teenage girlhood. * Lucy Rose, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb *
Bluff is a menacing, wind-swept thriller that creeps up on you as stealthily as a figure in the dark. * Anna Bailey, Sunday Times bestselling author of Tall Bones *
Atmospheric, taut and powerfully plotted, Bluff shows how memory can act as both shield and distortion in the pursuit of truth. * Celia Silvani, author of Baby Teeth *
Bluff weaves a chilling tale of coercion, deception, and dangerous liaisons, where the dark presence of one's past and hometown coalesce into something truly terrifying. A brilliantly gothic tale. * Christiana Spens, author of The Colony *
A literary gothic thriller to chill the marrow * Guardian on PINE *
[A] simmering gothic thriller * Daily Mail on PINE *
Splicing small-town domestic drama with grisly mystery and occult thrills… cleverly crafted * Metro on PINE *
As gripping as any boxset * Sunday Times Scotland on PINE *
This haunting debut is a must-read for fans of eerie gothic fiction * The Skinny on PINE *
A thrill of a book * i-D on PINE *
Hugely atmospheric, exquisitely written and utterly gripping * Lucy Foley, author of THE HUNTING PARTY on PINE *
Marries the claustrophobia of rural life with fascinating hints of Scottish myths, to create an emotional read with the pace of a thriller * Irish Country Magazine on PINE *
Carefully calibrated to make every single hair on the back of your neck stand up on end * Scotland on Sunday on PINE *
Eerie and thrilling * Sophie Mackintosh, author of THE WATER CURE on PINE *
Both spooky and tender; drenched in a sense of place and yet eerily timeless * Mick Herron on PINE *
Combines the Gothic sensibilities of Shirley Jackson with the psychologically astute suspense of Gillian Flynn * Sharlene Teo, author of PONTI on PINE *