Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey

Heartbreaker

Claudia Dey

Three starkly different but linked characters narrate the story of Billie Jean's life. They use a conversational tone that is punctuated with dark and sometimes comedic wit. Her inexplicable arrival to an isolated and strange town locked in its own disturbed dysfunctional bubble, triggers tragic events and betrayals that affect everyone. Her sudden and mysterious departure however heralds, in contradiction, the hope of redemption and healing.

Extract

I would go anywhere with you, but after so many pointless encounters, I refused to go to the graveyard. Headstone Saturdays. I had my limits . . . the women's faces and their mouths moving, issuing words, but furthering nothing. Speaking only about the weather, about time. You are standing on top of death, and all you can ask is 'You good?' 'You good?' 'You good?' Are these women full of batteries? We agreed the better question was You bad? How bad are you? How bad can a person be?

Parallels
  • Nobody is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey
  • My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
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Violence
Explicit sexual content