Fiends of the Family
(1966)(A book in the Inspector Swinton Australian Mystery series)
A novel by Pat Flower
A dark domestic thriller set in 1960s Australia! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, M.C. Beaton, Lee Strauss and P.C. James.
Families can be murder — especially when there’s a skeleton in the closet…
Sydney, 1965
Everyone agrees that the Greys are model daughters. Every Wednesday the middle-aged sisters take turns to visit their elderly mother in a nursing home since her health took an unexpected downturn.
But where exactly is the old lady … and why was her departure so sudden?
With Mother away, cynical Maggie, conniving Virginia and childlike Stella have big plans for the future. Controlled by their domineering parent and kept away from the world since childhood, the ‘Grey girls’ have built a world of elaborate daydreams centred entirely on themselves … as well as a deep distrust of each other, masked by fake pleasantries and meticulous social correctness.
But as their new-found freedom starts to go to the sisters’ heads, sibling rivalry takes a menacing turn. And as shocking secrets reveal themselves, suddenly the stakes are higher than ever – and the subterfuge that binds the Greys together threatens to tear them apart.
Could all three sisters be in danger – from each other? And just what is lurking in the garden Virginia tends so obsessively?
As the past refuses to stay buried, how far will the Grey girls go to win their deadly game?
Darkly atmospheric and laced with wry humour, FIENDS OF THE FAMILY is a gripping historical thriller by prolific Australian crime writer Pat Flower.
‘For those who like the macabre, spiced with humour, Fiends of the Family is something of a lark. It is, in fact, a perfect Hitchcock miniature.’ – Sydney Muster
Genre: Mystery
Families can be murder — especially when there’s a skeleton in the closet…
Sydney, 1965
Everyone agrees that the Greys are model daughters. Every Wednesday the middle-aged sisters take turns to visit their elderly mother in a nursing home since her health took an unexpected downturn.
But where exactly is the old lady … and why was her departure so sudden?
With Mother away, cynical Maggie, conniving Virginia and childlike Stella have big plans for the future. Controlled by their domineering parent and kept away from the world since childhood, the ‘Grey girls’ have built a world of elaborate daydreams centred entirely on themselves … as well as a deep distrust of each other, masked by fake pleasantries and meticulous social correctness.
But as their new-found freedom starts to go to the sisters’ heads, sibling rivalry takes a menacing turn. And as shocking secrets reveal themselves, suddenly the stakes are higher than ever – and the subterfuge that binds the Greys together threatens to tear them apart.
Could all three sisters be in danger – from each other? And just what is lurking in the garden Virginia tends so obsessively?
As the past refuses to stay buried, how far will the Grey girls go to win their deadly game?
Darkly atmospheric and laced with wry humour, FIENDS OF THE FAMILY is a gripping historical thriller by prolific Australian crime writer Pat Flower.
‘For those who like the macabre, spiced with humour, Fiends of the Family is something of a lark. It is, in fact, a perfect Hitchcock miniature.’ – Sydney Muster
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Pat Flower's Fiends of the Family