Welcome to Goodwood. A small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. A place where it's impossible to keep a secret ...

It wasn't just one person who went missing, it was two people. Two very different people. They were there, and then they were gone, as if through a crack in the sky. After that, in a small town like Goodwood, where we had what Nan called 'a high density of acquaintanceship', everything stopped. Or at least it felt that way. The normal feeling of things stopped.

In 1992, when Jean Brown is seventeen, a terrible thing happens. Two terrible things. Rosie White, the coolest girl in town, vanishes overnight. One week later, Goodwood's most popular resident, Bart McDonald, sets off on a fishing trip and never comes home.

People die in Goodwood, of course, but never like this. They don't just disappear.

As the intensity of speculation about the fates of Rosie and Bart heightens, Jean, who is keeping secrets of her own, and the rest of Goodwood are left reeling.

Rich in character and complexity, its humour both droll and tender, Goodwood is a compelling ride into a small community, torn apart by dark rumours and mystery.

Discover why everyone in the Allen & Unwin office is raving about Goodwood.

Hear Holly discuss Goodwood:

BRISBANE
Avid Reader – Thursday 29 September – 6.00 pm
193 Boundary Street, West End
Holly Throsby in conversation with Kathleen Noonan
Cost: $7.50. Bookings: 07 3846 3422 or avidreader.com.au

NEWCASTLE
Abicus – Sunday 2 October – 4.00 pm
103 Darby Street, Cooks Hill
Holly Throsby in conversation with Nick Milligan
Cost: Free. Bookings: Not required

CANBERRA
MUSE – Wednesday 5 October – 6.00 pm
69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston
Holly Throsby in conversation with Sam Vincent
Cost: $10. Bookings: instore or musecanberra.com.au

MELBOURNE
The Wheeler Centre – Thursday 6 October – 6.15 pm
176 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Holly Throsby in conversation with Sian Prior
Cost: Free. Bookings: wheelercentre.com

BOWRAL
The Bowral Bookshop – Thursday 13 October – 10.30 am
Centennial Vineyard Restaurant, Centennial Road, Bowral
Holly Throsby in conversation with Richard Walsh
Cost: $25. Bookings: 02 4862 1634

BATHURST
Books Plus – Monday 17 October – 6.30 pm
The Oxford Hotel, 170 William Street, Bathurst
Holly Throsby in conversation
Cost: $15. Bookings: 02 6331 5994

SYDNEY
Brays Books – Thursday 20 October
268 Darling Street, Balmain
Holly Throsby in conversation
Bookings: 02 9810 5613

HOBART
The Hobart Bookshop – Sunday 23 October – 3.00 pm
22 Salamanca Square, Hobart
Holly Throsby in conversation with Melanie Tait
Bookings: 03 6234 3800

SYDNEY
Five Dock Library – Monday 31 October – 7.00 pm
Level 1, 4-12 Garfield Street, Five Dock
Holly Throsby in conversation with Suzanne Leal
Cost: Free. Bookings: Eventbrite

Read the opening chapters to Goodwood