Twisty tale from home: ‘Girl Falling’ by Hayley Scrivenor

A new crime novel by an author I enjoy, set in my home region of the Blue Mountains of NSW. How could I resist?

Hayley Scrivenor’s debut novel, Dirt Town, received well-deserved accolades (my review is here.) I was looking forward to her next book and was delighted to learn that it was set amongst the sheer cliffs and amazing views of the Blue Mountains.

The thing I enjoy most about crime fiction are the characters and emotions, plus of course a well-drawn setting, and Girl Falling doesn’t disappoint.

The title is well chosen, as it can imply both the physical act of falling (in this case, from cliffs) but it can also be an emotional plunge for characters – in this case, pretty much all the characters.

The premise is intruiging: two high school girls bond over the shared trauma of losing a sister to suicide. Now young adults, they have grown inseparable – until one of them meets and falls in love with someone else.

There is a lot in here about youngsters trying to find their way in life, moving beyond childhood trauma, and also toxic relationships and coercion that can take many forms.

There is a twist that I truly did not see coming – and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it.

For all these reasons, Girl Falling is a crime novel that stayed with me well after I had read the final page.

Girl Falling was published by Pan Macmillan Australia in July 2024.