The Long, Long Afternoon

The captivating mystery for fans of Small Pleasures and Mad Men

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Pub Date 4 Feb 2021 | Archive Date 5 Feb 2021
Bonnier Books UK | Manilla Press

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Description

From the publishers of The Familiars by Stacey Halls comes Manilla Press's biggest debut launch of the season - and your next obsession in reading group fiction.


Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the last time . . .


It's the summer of 1959, and the well-trimmed lawns of Sunnylakes, California, wilt under the sun. At some point during the long, long afternoon, Joyce Haney, wife, mother, vanishes from her home, leaving behind two terrified toddlers and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor . . .


A beguiling, deeply atmospheric debut novel from the cracked heart of the American Dream, The Long, Long Afternoon is at once a page-turning mystery and an intoxicating vision of the ways in which women everywhere are diminished, silenced and ultimately under-estimated.

From the publishers of The Familiars by Stacey Halls comes Manilla Press's biggest debut launch of the season - and your next obsession in reading group fiction.


Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the...


Advance Praise

'Beautifully crafted, claustrophobic and compelling . . . a long drink on a hot day’ - Stacey Halls

'Like a tense, page-turning combo of James Ellroy, Kate Atkinson with a bit of Mad Men thrown in. Fabulous' - Liz Hyder

‘Such a vivid atmosphere of stifling LA heat and stifling 50s domesticity - the brittle facades of those suburban mansions with their manicured lawns and maddened housewives. A homage to hard-boiled American crime fiction but told with a distinctive female sensibility. Lovely!’ - Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures  

‘It's hard to express just how much I loved The Long, Long Afternoon. It's breathtakingly stylish, hypnotic and masterfully gripping. Inga paints the most beautiful portrait of 50s suburbia, yet each page scratches away at the sunny gloss to reveal the darkness beneath. Outstanding’ - Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End, Waterstones Thriller of the Month  

‘Loved this . . . Shimmering Santa Monica skies, technicolour fifties suburbia, hiding the darkest of secrets.’ - C.J. Tudor  

‘A perfect read.’ - Mary Paulson Ellis  

‘Mrs. Wheatley from The Queens Gambit meets a smart and compelling murder mystery in this beautifully written novel. Bravo!’ - Deborah O’Connor

Beautifully written and brilliantly observed, as well as being a page-turning mystery. The 1950s come alive with issues that resonate today.’ - Simon Lelic

‘Raced through this very atmospheric novel set in a hot American 50s summer. Not just a beguiling murder mystery but also has important things to say about race, gender and class. Loved it!’ - Araminta Hall

‘Reminscent of Hollywood noir, The Long Long Afternoon is a tense, gripping exploration of the darkness beneath the sunny exterior of 50s suburbia’ - Zoe Somerville, author of The Night of the Flood

'I was hooked from the opening sentence. As well as being a sharp examination of privilege and oppression, it's also completely gripping and kept me guessing right to the end.' - Amanda Mason, author of The Wayward Girls


'Beautifully crafted, claustrophobic and compelling . . . a long drink on a hot day’ - Stacey Halls

'Like a tense, page-turning combo of James Ellroy, Kate Atkinson with a bit of Mad Men thrown in...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781838772260
PRICE £14.99 (GBP)
PAGES 400

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Featured Reviews

I just LOVED this book. It was highly addictive I just raced through it. I do like a detective novel, and this one really hit the spot. The only frustrating thing about it was that the detective himself was so slow picking up on the clues, I was almost shouting out loud at him!
Highly recommended.

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