Bøker av Annalisa Crawford

"A world both familiar and nightmarish. Eerie, atmospheric and immediately gripping." Charlie Carroll, author of The LipYou're on your own and you shouldn't be. Your partner is missing. The streets are empty. Even the birds have disappeared. What do you do?It's 6:05am one Tuesday morning, and Lexi Peters is alone. Her partner, her friends, her neighbours have all vanished without a trace. The entire town is deserted. Gathering every ounce of courage, she sets out to explore the streets, seeking any sign of life. Her only companions are a coy black cat and a lurking fog that seems to follow her every step.On the same morning, her partner Finn awakens to an empty house. Recalling the blazing argument they had the night before, he assumes Lexi has snuck off somewhere to cool down. But she doesn't return.Time passes. Or not. Lexi is stranded on that Tuesday morning, while Finn hurtles through the years at increasing speed.Can Lexi and Finn be reunited, or is it already too late?

***Previously published as Our Beautiful Child*** Three women. Three stories. One pub where it all begins. For Quinn, Ella, and Rona, The Boatman is the perfect place for respite. It's the oldest pub in town and has been offering solace and comfort to those in peril for centuries. Quinn is hiding from her past when she meets the captivating Murray. Ella is running from her nightmares and the tragedy they predict. And Rona is on the cusp of a spinetingling new ability. But there are strange murmurs in the night. A woman who fell to her death walks the banks of the river. A clairvoyant is drawn to the Boatman, eager to discover its secrets. And who is rowing the boat which glides silently in the shadows? These suspenseful, traditionally-inspired ghost stories will chill the bones of fans of Susan Hill, J.T. Croft, and Wendy Webb.

At school, Julia was drawn to the aloof and intriguing new student, Rachel, who lured her into a suicide pact. Julia survived; Rachel did not.Fifteen years later, Julia is still struggling with the guilt and trauma of that day, causing her to retreat into daydreams as a means of escape. But, even there, she is unable to find peace, as a surreal character named Cat is determined to thwart Julia's efforts to move on and find happiness.Julia's life changes when she meets Adam, who helps her realise what she has been missing.This poignant coming-of-age tale for adults will resonate with anyone who is still waiting to feel grown up.

There are eight billion people on Earth. We collide with just a handful of them throughout our lives, by accident or design. Why not take the time meet a few more?A couple break up on a rainy night; a woman finds comfort eating lunch as her best friend lies in hospital; a runaway longs to go home; a teenager finds herself in an unlikely place.Our stories never end, they just lead into the next.This is the updated second edition of That Sadie Thing, packed with award-winning stories from the first decade of the author's career.Praise for the first edition:¿¿¿¿¿ An amazing collection of short stories that will stick with you long after you've finished reading them - Kazzy¿¿¿¿¿ The stories left me wondering and musing but also strangely and wonderfully satisfied. Thank you for such a treat! - I Forgive Heathcliff¿¿¿¿¿ Every story is memorable, and unlike any you've read before. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy this book, but I may just have to read it again. The first time, I gobbled the stories like a bag of chips. Next time, I'll try to slow down and savor. If I can. - Susan Flett Swiderski

***Shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award 2023***They say life can change in the blink of an eye, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.An explosion at a hotel results in staff and guests relying on each other, while a woman retrieves an old clock from the attic with disturbing consequences. One man leaves heartache in his wake; another brings forth adventure.Within this captivating collection, Annalisa Crawford introduces characters who will enchant, fascinate, and intrigue you.Annalisa's stories have appeared in Fairlight Shorts, Fictive Dream, and Reflex Fiction; and received long- and shortlist recognition in prestigious competitions such as the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the Bath Short Story Award, and the Colm Tobin Short Story Award.

Is Zenna a muse, a sleep-deprived apparition, or something much more sinister?Suffering long-term amnesia, artist Jo Mckye is ready to start a fresh, new project after the success of her debut exhibition. But the fictional subject of the collection, Zenna, won't let go so easily. Infiltrating Jo's dreams-and increasingly, her waking hours-Zenna is fast becoming a dangerous obsession.Jo is confident the answers lie at her childhood home, an idyllic Cornish village on the south-east coast; she just doesn't know why. Only when she walks into the sea and almost drowns does the past start to unravel.Haunting and melodic, fans of Daphne du Maurier and Daisy Johnson will adore this.

In You. I. Us, Annalisa Crawford captures everyday people during poignant defining moments in their lives: An artist puts his heart into his latest sketch, an elderly couple endures scrutiny by a fellow diner, an ex-student attempts to make amends with a girl she bullied at school, a teenager holds vigil at his friend's hospital bedside, long distance lovers promise complete devotion, a broken-hearted widow stares into the sea from the edge of a cliff where her husband died, a grieving son contacts the only person he can rely on in a moment of crisis, a group of middle-aged friends inspire each other to live remarkable lives. Day after day, we make the same choices. But after reading You. I. Us., you'll ask yourself, ';What if we didn't?'