Before She Was Found

Before She Was Found
Heather Gudenkauf

‘Eerily page-turning and wonderfully twisty.’ Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling authorOne of them knows what happened that night…For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover – movies and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences…Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted – not even those closest to her. But who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora – and why?A shocking, unputdownable thriller, perfect for fans of Claire Douglas, Lucy Clarke, Nuala Ellwood and Paula Daly.

A gripping thriller about three young girlfriends, a dark obsession and a chilling crime that shakes up a quiet Iowa town, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence.

For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover—movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences.

Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora.

Before She Was Found is a timely and gripping thriller about friendship and betrayal, about the power of social pressure and the price of needing to fit in. It is about the great lengths a parent will go to protect their child and keep them safe—even if that means burying the truth, no matter the cost.

HEATHER GUDENKAUF is the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence, These Things Hidden, One Breath Away, Little Mercies and Not a Sound. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence was picked for The TV Bookclub. She lives in Iowa with her family.

Read more about Heather and her novels at www.HeatherGudenkauf.com (http://www.HeatherGudenkauf.com)

Before She Was Found

Heather Gudenkauf

Copyright (#ua3ed6f61-7119-5cc6-9d58-5878148b90d7)

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright © Heather Gudenkauf 2019

Heather Gudenkauf asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © April 2019 ISBN: 9781474083133

Praise for Heather Gudenkauf (#ua3ed6f61-7119-5cc6-9d58-5878148b90d7)

‘This gripping tale will keep you up all night’

Heat

‘Fans of Jodi Picoult will devour this great thriller’

Red

‘Tension builds as family secrets tumble from the closet’

Woman & Home

‘Totally gripping’

Marie Claire

‘An action-packed thriller’

Mary Kubica

‘Keeps you hooked right up to the last page’

My Weekly

‘A great thriller’

Radio Times

‘A real page-turner’

Woman’s Own

‘A gripping thriller’

Inside Soap

‘Deeply moving and lyrical’

Company

‘A powerhouse of a debut novel’

Tess Gerritsen

‘Heart-pounding and compelling’

Diane Chamberlain

‘If you haven’t read Heather Gudenkauf yet, now’s the time.’

Lisa Unger

For my parents, Milton and Patricia Schmida –

thank you for teaching me the meaning of home.