Named a Best New Book of 2021 (so far) byReal Simple
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 byLit HubandBustle
Victoria Gosling'sBefore the Ruinsis a gripping, multilayered debut in the tradition of Donna Tartt and Tana French about four friends, an abandoned manor, and one fateful night that will follow them for the rest of their lives
Its the summer of 1996 and schools out forever for Andy, her boyfriend Marcus, her best friend Peter, and Em. When Andys alcoholic mother predicts the apocalypse, the four teenagers decide to see out the end of the world at a deserted manor house, the site of a historic unsolved mystery. There they meet Davidcharming and unreliable, he seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
David presents an irresistible lure for both Andy and Peter and complicates the dynamics of their lifelong friendship. When the group learns that a diamond necklace, stolen fifty years ago, might still be somewhere on the manor grounds, the Gamehalf treasure hunt, half friendly deceptionbegins. But the Game becomes much bigger than the necklace, growing to encompass years of secrets, lies, and, ultimately, one terrible betrayal.
Meticulously plotted and gorgeously written,Before the Ruinsis a page-turner of the highest order about the sealed-off places in our pasts and the parts of ourselves waiting to be retrieved from them.
Victoria Gosling, author of
Before the Ruins, grew up in Wiltshire, England, and studied English literature at Manchester University. She is the founder of The Reader Berlin, hosting salon nights in Berlin and writers retreats in Greece and Italy. She also organizes the Berlin Writing Prize.
Gosling is a stylish, sophisticated writer, and we realize that we are following Andy on what amounts to a grand scavenger hunt for the truth. Rain falls relentlessly, and the ensuing floods form an ominous backdrop to a story that becomes dalÃj
![Before the Ruins: A Novel [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/4/7/1/2_5394069.jpg "Before the Ruins: A Novel [Paperback]")