Former corporate lawyer Clementine Jones is living in self-imposed exile, passing the time by coaching a country-league footy club and trying to forget the past. Now the team is winning, and the pressure is on to take the Cats to their first grand final in over fifty years.
When her star player, Clancy Kennedy, quits on the eve of the finals, something doesn’t stack up. Clem’s a tough negotiator, used to getting her own way—but when she sets out to win Clancy back, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that puts them both in danger.
Solving the mystery could end in Clementine’s worst nightmare—the exposure of her shameful secret—but only if she survives to tell the tale.
About the Author
Sarah Thornton ditched her law career not long after being awarded Australian Corporate Lawyer of the Year in 2016. She now lives with her husband onboard a 43-foot sailing catamaran, exploring everything she can and chasing an endless summer.
Sarah took up writing novels as a way to liberate her imagination after twenty years in the structured confines of legal and corporate life. Her debut novel, Lapse, is the first of a series in which former corporate lawyer Clementine Jones stumbles headlong into criminal conspiracies and other nefarious goings-on.
Industry Reviews
'Clementine Jones is a heroine for our times: fierce, feisty and fallible.' * Candice Fox *
'Lapse is a quintessentially Australian story of small town conspiracies, dark secrets and footy finals. Part-time coach and accidental sleuth Clementine Jones is a welcome and refreshing addition to the ranks of Australian crime fiction detectives.' * Emma Viskic *
'Lapse is paced like a suspenseful footy match, scoring goals right up to the final siren. Unexpected twists and turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the end. Fans of rural crime, the likes of Jane Harper and Sarah Bailey, will enjoy this book.' * Books+Publishing (starred review) *
'Tackling Clem's guilt and shame with sympathetic and honest clarity, Thornton's debut is a small-town, high-stakes, mid-season tale that you don't need to love footy to enjoy.' * Readings *
'[A] tense thriller that holds the reader captive until the very end...fans of Jane Harper and Garry Disher will enjoy this book.' * ReadPlus Reviews *
'[An] enjoyable addition to the steadily growing catalogue of Australian rural crime fiction and a very accomplished debut.' * Robert Goodman *
'Thornton...has succeeded in creating a memorable and multi-layered heroine in the determined but fallible Clem...Lapse is a well-paced and absorbing thriller.' * West Weekend *
'[A] thrilling page turner' * Brisbane News *
'There is much to admire in Lapse. Thornton captures the nuances and the tensions of life in a small country town...Lapse is an absorbing read, and an accomplished debut.' * Canberra Times *
'Sarah Thornton joins authors such as Jane Harper, Sarah Bailey and Matt Dunn in harvesting rich pickings from an increasingly barren landscape.' * Herald Sun *
'A fantastic debut, simmering with tension, conflict and so many plot twists your head will spin!' * Sisters in Crime *
'This is a rip-roaring tale that addresses weighty issues head-on: Discrimination, race-baiting, harassment, physical violence, corporate corruption, and criminality all play major roles in the story...A riveting thriller with a heroine willing to get her hands dirty to find the answers she seeks.' * Kirkus (starred review) *
