When a rebellious girl discovers a mysterious boy on the shore of her town’s dried up lakebed, she’s drawn to him in ways she can’t explain, even as his true demon identity comes to light. From the bestselling author of Win Lose Kill Die and Keep Your Friends Close comes a clean YA romance-thriller with a paranormal twist, for fans of Cemetery Boys and Harrow Lake.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and the cover for Clandestine by Cynthia Murphy, which releases on July 22nd 2027.
But first, here’s what Cynthia had to say about her upcoming release:
“Clandestine was one of those stories that hit me like a sledgehammer. I went from feeling like I’d never have a good idea again to giving this dusty town and these characters life in less than twelve weeks. I wrote it with such a sense of urgency—not just for me, but for Devan and Raze and their story—and I can’t wait for readers to meet them. At its very heart its a story of acceptance and the people in our lives who love us for who we are—even if they’re not quite human…”
“I said, how unlucky are we?”
“Unlucky? I do not think so.”
“You don’t? Why?”
Raze pulled her closer, mumbling into her hair. “Because I have lived lifetimes and never felt this way.”
In the small, forgotten town of Clandestine, Devan Bond has always felt out of place. Raised by her great aunt and uncle after her mom disappeared, Devan’s rebellious spirit has only grown stronger. But when a reckless act leaves her grounded for the summer, she discovers a dark secret buried in the dried-up lakebed – a handsome, mysterious boy named Raze, who harbours a sinister past as a crossroads demon and is thirsty for revenge.
As a strange illness spreads through the town, Devan and Raze’s fates become intertwined in a dangerous dance of love, sacrifice and the supernatural. Will they break free from the town’s deadly grip, or be consumed by the very forces they’re desperate to escape?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cynthia Murphy is the bestselling author of a number of YA thrillers, including the BookTok sensation Win Lose Kill Die. She has a long-standing love affair with all things scary, reading Point Horrors before graduating to Stephen King in her misguided teens. Studying for a degree in Art History and Archaeology meant that she developed a thirst for anything old, beautiful and very often dead. She tries to combine this with contemporary settings in her writing to make unique and chilling modern stories. Cynthia lives in her hometown of Manchester with her husband and their rescue dog, Loli, who you will see a lot of on TikTok and Instagram @CynthiaMurphyYA
