My debut novel was published on 7 July by Saraband and launched in Edinburgh at Waterstones, Princes St, and at Waterstones in Newcastle on 13th
This was me when my copies arrived from the publisher!
Waterstones, Newcastle here says THE CONFESSION OF STELLA MOON is “set to take the crime fiction world by storm”!
The Confession of Stella Moon is a disturbing psychological tale of matricide. The story opens as Stella is released from prison after serving time for killing her mother. She wants to restart her life but her plans are soon ruined when she returns ‘home’ to a semi-derelict boarding house and finds herself pulled back into a past she didn’t even know she had. Stella is forced to realise she has killed more than once… This is a novel about Family Secrets, how they hover like phantoms across generations, blighting lives.
BOOK GROUPS might want to use this Reading Guide
My book was recently tipped as a Scottish novel to look out for in 2016 by the Scottish Book Trust:
Shelley Day’s debut novel was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize and has already drawn praise from A. L. Kennedy. Her debut is set in the North East of England in the late 1970s and promises to be a ‘dark, brooding tale of matricide and infanticide with a touch of the supernatural.’
‘A timely and intelligent book.’ – A. L. Kennedy.
In the Irish Times, January 2016:
A truly compulsive drama of guilt, manipulation and paranoia, the narrative shifts effortlessly between otherworldly scenes, searing memories and everyday realities. Laced also with plenty of quirky humour and an irresistible 1970s ambience, this thriller is a highly original but always page-turning read.
PRAISE FOR The Confession of Stella Moon
“Once in a while an author comes along that refreshes the genre, to my mind Shelley Day has done just that” Jacky Collins, Newcastle Noir
“Pulls you in from the first page and doesn’t let you go, even after the final page has been turned” Victoria Watson, Elementary Watson
“The book is smart. The writer is smart. The central character is smart and sassy. Just what we need in this day and age. A shero we can believe in. Don’t miss this” Tina Gharavi, filmmaker, I am Nasrine
“This is an assured and stylish debut novel … Stella is flawed and confused and wonderfully real, a welcome tonic to the passive “girls” that populate so many modern thrillers. Shelley Day is an excellent world builder” Stacy Alesi (‘Bookbitch’)
“It’s a long time since a novel sank its fangs into my brain in such a spectacular way. Multi-layered, dark, delicious prose. I devoured it in one sitting and can’t wait to see what this wonderful author delivers next” Allison Davies, writer
ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!
EXAMPLE of an Amazon review, this one the 20th review, and from ‘Sandi22’
“This is a strong, confident debut novel. The writing is a joy, evocative, yet punchy; the narrative fast-paced enough to satisfy those who like a good page-turner! And it’s hard to put down. In Stella Moon, Day has created a memorable character- the ultimate flawed female. But is she a villain or a victim? It’s up to the reader to decide, but be warned…Our Stella has claws. She will drag you in and keep you in her murky, dilapidated world long after you read the last page!”
Shelley Day 