He never intended to be a jailer ...
After years of travelling, responsible to no-one but himself, Steve has resolved to settle down. He gets a job, buys a house and persuades Liesel to move in with him.
Life's perfect, until Liesel delivers her ultimatum: if he won't agree to start a family, she'll have to leave. He can't bear to lose her, but how can he face the prospect of fatherhood when he has no idea what being a father means? If he could somehow make her stay, he wouldn't have to choose ... and it would be a shame not to make use of the cellar.
Will this be the solution to his problems, or the catalyst for his own unravelling?
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Underneath is the second novel from author Anne Goodwin, following the success of her debut Sugar and Snails in 2015, (critically acclaimed and shortlisted for the Polari Prize) .
Praise for Underneath
A dark and disturbing tale of a man who appears ordinary on the surface, but is deeply damaged. Clever and chilling; [Underneath] is a story that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.
– Sanjida Kay, author of Bone by Bone
[Underneath] is a compelling, insightful and brave novel of doomed, twisted romance driven by a sustained and unsettling voice.
– Ashley Stokes, author of The Syllabus of Errors
Praise for Sugar & Snails
This secret tantalisingly grips the reader, gradually being pieced together bit by bit, so intrinsically and poignantly mapped out that I truly cannot praise this novel highly enough.
– Isabelle on The Contemporary Small Press
Fiction delivered by a writer who knows not only how to craft her words but also what those words should be communicating.
– Dr Suzanne Conboy-Hill in The Psychologist
An absorbing, clever and heartening debut novel.
– Alison Moore, author of Booker-shortlisted The Lighthouse
A probing debut novel and, like its protagonist, not what it first seems.
– Gavin Weston, author of Harmattan
I loved this book. Sugar and Snails is beautifully written and a truly impressive debut by Anne Goodwin. It reminded me a little of Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs. The character of Di, at first frustrating, grows more endearing as you begin to understand her. Her friend Venus and lover Simon are well-drawn; there as foils to Di’s story. A beautiful and gripping read.
– Fleur Smithwick, author of How to make a Friend
Sugar and Snails is a brave and bold emotional roller-coaster of a read. Anne Goodwin’s prose is at once sensitive, invigorating and inspired. I was hooked from the start and in bits by the end. Very much to be recommended.
– Rebecca Root, actor and voice teacher
A very moving portrayal of how paralyzing the shame of one’s identity can lead to lifelong isolation and secrecy. A gripping, compelling and moving read.
– Dr. Victoria Holt, Consultant Psychiatrist
