A Bad, Bad Place

In her gritty debut novel, Frances Crawford introduces 12-year-old Janey Devine, a working-class girl in 1979 Glasgow who inadvertently discovers the body of a murdered woman, sparking turmoil in her insular community. As fear and gossip ripple through Possilpark, Janey grapples with her own secrets while a notorious gangster, Billy "The Ghost" Watson, seeks answers about his daughter's death. Blending humor with poignant insights, the story unfolds as a coming-of-age whodunit that highlights the complexities of grief, survival, and the intricate bonds within a neighborhood.