Coming October 2022

What happens to a family when a child goes missing? How far would you go to learn the truth?

In a busy street market, Abbie lets go of six-year-old Sarah’s hand. She isn’t a bad mother, just exhausted. When she turns around, her daughter isn’t there. After a full-scale search and a high-profile investigation, there is still no trace of Sarah.

Six years later, Abbie is in love and getting married. Her family, despite their problems, have seen her through her worst imaginings—only Abbie’s mother seems unwilling to let her move on. Her fragile peace is constantly threatened: not knowing what happened to Sarah is like living with a curse.

Then a phone call from an unknown number offers closure. A man claims to know what happened to Sarah, but if Abbie tells anyone or fails to follow instructions, she’ll never find out. What price must Abbie pay to know the truth?

‘Elegantly written and utterly chilling. A dark and twisting novel of psychological suspense that will have you turning pages and checking your locks.’
—Emma Viskic, author of Those Who Perish

‘Gripping, propulsive, and unbearably tense – the best psychological thriller I’ve read in years.’
—Mark Brandi, author of The Others

‘An original thriller full of empathy. Flawed and vulnerable, Abbie is so real. I was with her all the way.’
—Sarah Bailey, author of The Housemate

‘An elegant, powerful and utterly compelling thriller. The best book I have read all year.’
—Lucy Christopher, author of Release

‘After You Were Gone cleaves open ideas of friendship and family, revealing the complex inner workings of our closest relationships. In doing so, Wakefield achieves what all good crime writers aspire to do: she forces the reader to stress-test their own sense of morality. She looks you in the eye and asks what would you do if the unthinkable happened? What would you sacrifice? How far would you go? At once tense and atmospheric, After You Were Gone is also brilliantly plotted and populated with complex characters. An exciting new voice in Australian crime.’
—J.P Pomare, author of The Last Guests

‘Spooky, believable, compelling. I kept turning the pages hoping for a way out.’
—Leah Swann, author of Sheerwater