A House with Good Bones (Australian paperback

But stepping inside, she quickly realises home isn't what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mum is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mum jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she's the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

'Mum seems off.'

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn't what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mum is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mum jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she's the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what's got her mum so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.