The Centre
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The Centre
The Centre by Hannah Tunnicliffe is a gripping, utterly immersive novel that pulls readers into a darkening vortex of lies, manipulation, and coercive control. With a striking setting and vividly drawn characters, Tunnicliffe captures the unsettling intimacy of power and vulnerability with piercing insight. A compulsive read.
– Rose Carlyle, author of No One Will Know and The Girl in the Mirror
Be your best self, even if it kills you
Sisters Annie and Clover have always been close. So when Annie turns up, heartbroken and jobless on Clover's doorstep, she happily takes her in.
Sunny, optimistic Clover is living her best life on the Northern beaches of Sydney. She's attending workshops at the Centre for Personal Excellence, led by the beautiful and elusive Lumelia, a wellness influencer and personal transformation guru. The Centre seems to have everyone under its spell, except for Annie, who can’t afford to invest in its programs. As Annie’s trying to get back on her feet, Clover is sinking further and further into her newfound self-development community.
Annie’s attempts to pull her sister away from the allure of the Centre and its devoted followers only push Clover deeper, and Annie realises that the Centre may be hiding some very dark secrets.
Is the Centre what finally breaks the sisters apart, or can Annie save Clover before it’s too late? It’s fast becoming a matter of life or death.
PRAISE FOR THE POOL:
‘delivers twists you won’t see coming’ – The Age
‘Hannah Tunnicliffe creates a tangled web of love, betrayal and tragedy … It gripped me from start to finish.’ – Anna Snoekstra, author of The Ones We Love
‘A bold and deeply intriguing story of morally ambiguous lives … it depicts a world full of domestic and corporate duplicity that could very well be the one you’re living in right now’ – Lyn Yeowart, author of The Silent Listener
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781761153679
Publisher: Ultimo Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 October 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: Ultimo Press
Illustration: Text only
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Hannah Tunnicliffe is the author of several books for kids and adults including The Pool, The Colour of Tea, Season of Salt and Honey, A French Wedding and the trilingual picture book Marjory and the Mouse. She is the co-creator of the Detective Stanley series published by Flying Eye Books. Her work has featured in the New York Times Book Review and she is the founder and host of the body acceptance podcast, Bod Almighty. She is an eating disorder survivor, career and volunteer youth counsellor and holds a degree in social sciences and psychology.
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