The Last Illusion of Paige White

Two women. A tragedy on the lake. And secrets beneath the surface ... The lyrical, haunting new novel from the author of The Beautiful Words

For fans of The Lovely Bones, Before You Knew My Name and Everything I Never Told You

Paige White kayaked across the lake each morning at dawn. Someone was watching her. Many someones watched her online. But was anyone with her the day she was found?

Paige White's beautiful life is documented closely for her thousands of followers: lakeside picnics with her daughter, sunny afternoons in the family van, and romantic dinners with her husband. So when she posts an ominous image, and her body is shortly after discovered in the lake, everyone immediately wonders - suicide or foul play?

Paige finds herself suspended in a strange, idyllic place that resembles her most 'liked' Instagram post, forced to watch as life continues without her.

When Paige's death makes national news, Jane Masters, a journalist who was close to Paige in childhood, reluctantly travels home. Struggling with the morality of covering her friend's death, Jane will confront the town she left behind and the dark undercurrents that she's always known run underneath.

About the Author

Vanessa studied English and Australian literature at the University of Sydney and dreamed of one day writing fiction. She then went on to immerse herself completely in writing about real people, working as a journalist for twenty years. Vanessa has been a news, medical, entertainment and arts reporter for the Daily Telegraph and her writing has appeared in numerous other publications. She's happy to now, finally, be creating fictional characters. She lives in Sydney with her husband and daughter.