Tensions bubble to the surface in a family of four newly transplanted to L.A. when the oldest daughter wakes up bruised and battered from a night she can’t remember… and no one wants to talk about it. Meet the Jansen family: Since the weekend of the party – the one Liv can’t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises – there’s been a padlock on the door of her bedroom. Her parents said they found mold, and it needs to be decontaminated, but they’re behaving oddly. Her friend Leilani isn’t answering her texts, so maybe Liv did get a little out of control that night. Sharing a room with her younger brother Casper for a while isn’t the end of the world, as long as he doesn’t tell their parents that she’s started sleepwalking. They’re already acting strangely enough. The guilt over that weekend is getting to her father Janus. He’s forever looking over his shoulder. Janus, a horror author, is on a deadline to adapt his book into a screenplay. Now he’s now finding it hard to stomach the violence of his own stories. But Janus brought his whole family from Australia to LA to chase his dream, and he can’t let them down. Not again. Kay wasn’t sure she wanted to be a mother when she got pregnant with Liv, but she gave up everything for her daughter and then her son, Casper. She’ll do whatever she has to do to take care of her kids. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbors – well, she’ll just have to be more careful. Casper was away that weekend, but he knows something isn’t right. His parents don’t look each other in the eye anymore. His father’s hands tremble for no reason. And where does Liv keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Casper decides to find out what no one will tell him about that weekend and what lies behind the padlocked door.

Autorentext

Anna Snoekstra is the author of Only Daughter, Little Secrets and The Spite Game. Her novels have been published in over twenty countries and sixteen languages. She has written for many publications including The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Crime Reads and is a profile writer for The Saturday Paper. In 2023 she released her first audio drama This Isn’t Happening. Follow her author journey on Instagram @snoekstra.

Klappentext

"Meet the Jansen family... Since the morning after the party - the one Liv can't remember, the one that left her covered in bruises - there's been a padlock on the door of her bedroom. Her parents said they found mold and it needs to be decontaminated, but they're acting strangely. Her friend Leilani isn't answering her texts, so maybe Liv did get a little out of control that night. Sharing a room with her brother Cas for a while isn't the end of the world, as long as he doesn't tell their parents that she's started sleepwalking. They're already worried enough. Janus brought his family from Australia to LA to chase his dream of turning his bestselling novel into a screenplay. Yeah, money is tight, but he's sure this rewrite is the one. He knows he let his wife down with the Liv situation, and he can't let her down again. Kay wasn't sure she wanted to be a mother when she got pregnant with Liv, but she gave up everything for her daughter and then her son, Casper, as well. She'll do whatever she has to do to take care of her kids. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbors - well, they'll just have to be more careful. All Cas wanted was to go home for the summer - to Australia, his real home. But his parents are making him stay in LA, AND he has to share a room with his sister. Mold? He doesn't believe it. Since Cas's plans were ruined, he might as well find out the truth about the padlock. And whatever it is that no one is telling him"--

Zusammenfassung
Can they survive what’s behind the padlocked door?
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Since the weekend of the party—the one twenty-two-year-old Liv can’t remember, the one that left her covered in bruises—she’s been locked out of her bedroom by a padlock. Her parents are behaving oddly and her best friend won’t respond to her texts. Maybe she really was out of control that night?

Meanwhile Liv’s father, Janus, is not sure he can do what is necessary to keep this secret hidden. He brought his family from Australia to Los Angeles to chase his dream of seeing his novel on the big screen, and he can’t let them down. Not again.

Kay gave up everything when she had Liv and Casper. So now she’ll do whatever she has to do to take care of them. Her marriage, though, is a different story. And the neighbors—well, she’ll just have to be more careful.

Casper, the youngest, was away that weekend, but he knows something isn’t right. His parents don’t look each other in the eye anymore. His father’s hands tremble for no reason. And where does Liv keep disappearing to in the middle of the night? Casper decides to find out what no one will tell him about that weekend. What lies behind the padlocked door?