Publisher's Synopsis
Across the room, through the fog of tobacco smoke, Betty notices him. His teacup is empty, his eyes are low and he doesn't speak. She wants him to notice her. She wants to impress. Fifteen-year-old Betty Broadbent helps her erratic and beautiful mother run the Hotel Eden, a boarding house now besieged by reporters, keen for juicy gossip and eye-catching headlines. They are there because the Cornish seaside town has recently witnessed a strong of murders, young girls stabbed to death. Among the newspaper jackals, Mr Gallagher stands out. Quiet, serious Mr Gallagher - Betty is fascinated by his mysterious nature and desperate to be noticed by him and not be treated as a child.
