When We Were Silent

“I’m not here for prestige. I’m here for revenge.” Lou Manson is an outsider when she joins the final-year class at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. Beyond the granite pillars and the wrought-iron gates is a world of wealth, privilege and potential. But Highfield is also hiding a dark secret – and Lou is here to expose it. When Lou befriends the beautiful and talented Shauna Power, her plans are thrown into turmoil. Speaking out against the school would mean betraying Shauna, and Lou soon discovers that the Highfield elite will go to any lengths to protect their own reputation…even when the consequences are fatal. Thirty years later, Lou is called to testify in a new lawsuit against Highfield. But telling the truth means confronting her past – and there is one story she swore she’d never tell… I love a great literary psychological drama. I devoured Fiona McPhillips's debut, a lovechild of Tana French and Patricia Highsmith, but also totally original. Absolutely brilliant! - John Boyne, bestselling author of THE HEART'S INVISIBLE FURIES A stunning debut – beautifully written, tender and poignant, but pulls no punches. A powerful, unforgettable read - Andrea Mara, bestselling author of NO ONE SAW A THING Taut, compelling, powerful and devastatingly relevant. A sensational debut - Louise O'Neill, bestselling author of IDOL Gripping, intelligent, assured - and devastating. - Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of THE TRAP Utterly amazing . . . Powerful, moving, enraging - Marian Keyes, bestselling author of AGAIN, RACHEL