The Last Illusion of Paige White

Compelling, haunting and beautifully written. You'll be thinking about it long after you turn the last page! - Liane Moriarty

Two women. A tragedy on the lake. And secrets beneath the surface... The lyrical, haunting new novel from the author of The Beautiful Words.

For fans of The Lovely Bones, Before You Knew My Name and Everything I Never Told You

Paige White kayaked across the lake each morning at dawn. Someone was watching her. Many someones watched her online. But was anyone with her the day she was found?

Paige White's beautiful life is documented closely for her thousands of followers: lakeside picnics with her daughter, sunny afternoons in the family van, and romantic dinners with her husband. So when she posts an ominous image, and her body is shortly after discovered in the lake, everyone immediately wonders - suicide or foul play?

Paige finds herself suspended in a strange, idyllic place that resembles her most 'liked' Instagram post, forced to watch as life continues without her.

When Paige's death makes national news, Jane Masters, a journalist who was close to Paige in childhood, reluctantly travels home. Struggling with the morality of covering her friend's death, Jane will confront the town she left behind and the dark undercurrents that she's always known run underneath.

Compelling, haunting and beautifully written, The Last Illusion of Paige White is a clever, page-turning modern mystery as well as a thoughtful exploration of female friendship, family dynamics, and the complex impact of social media on self-identity. You'll be thinking about it long after you turn the last page! - Liane Moriarty

McCausland expertly weaves together multiple strands of a multilayered story... McCausland is a thoughtful, subtle writer with a deep understanding of her characters' psyches. What lends a special poignancy to the story are the chapters narrated by Paige, reflecting deep regret for her life's mistakes - New York Times Best New Release

An addictive read which nimbly combines a twisty small-town mystery with a thoughtful critique of influencer culture, all set against the wild, irresistible beauty of the Australian coastal landscape. - Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

Lyrical and evocative, and with a twisty whodunnit edge, this is Vanessa McCausland's best book yet. - Fiona Lowe

Atmospheric and poignant - Petronella McGovern

An ambitious and evocative novel that will appeal to both young and old. Vanessa McCausland has written a modern classic with family, friendship, and beauty on the surface, and dark currents swirling beneath. - BM Carroll