A Bad, Bad Place by Crawford, Frances

Author: Crawford, Frances

Crime & mystery

Published on 12 February 2026 by Transworld Publishers Ltd (Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of) in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 384 pages
242 x 159 | 595g

Don’t miss the must-read debut of the year – a murder mystery unlike any other…

‘Clever, honest, heart-rending.’ VAL MCDERMID’Richly authentic, funny, moving and insightful.’ JANICE HALLETT’I havent read anything quite as unique as this since Trainspotting.’ LIN ANDERSON’A Bad, Bad Place will stay with me for a long, long time’ JENNIE GODFREY’Part To Kill a Mockingbird, part The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, yet altogether incomparable A. J. FINNWhat happened to the dog walker who found the body?Glasgow, 1979.

Twelve-year-old Janey wont take her dog, Sid Vicious, for a walk. Not anymore. Its Sids fault she found the murdered woman.

Janey claims she cant remember what she saw at the abandoned railway, but the police think shes hiding something. And theyre not the only ones interested.

Fear and rumour rip through the tight-knit community of Possilpark. Janey and her nana, Maggie, are dragged into the hunt for a murderer. And Maggies struggle to keep her beloved granddaughter safe becomes ever more desperate.

Because Janeys memories cant stay hidden forever.

And neither can the killerReaders love A Bad, Bad Place:’Lingers long after the final page’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’I loved every page!’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’Got under my skin in a way I didn’t expect’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’Absolutely brilliant, funny, full of life, completely convincing’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’Brilliant’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’Stunning’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW’Scottish writing at its finest’ FIVE-STAR READER REVIEW