Clara & Olivia by Lucy Ashe

Clara & Olivia by Lucy Ashe

'Clara & Olivia dances with historical details, with unease and atmosphereYou can feel the mist of the London canals, hear the ballet shoes touching the stage.' Abigail Dean, author of Girl A

‘This unsettling tale… As the story follows the rehearsals for the ballet Coppelia, we receive a quick-fire education on how the ballet works and why it inspires obsession… An original thriller with a crafty plot.’ Daily Mail

'This book was a joy to read from start to finish. Ashe's writing is razor-sharp with a lyrical edge to it, and there were times when I wished I could write just as well. Rich, mesmerising and compelling, Clara & Olivia heralds the arrival of a bright new voice in literary fiction. This one will have the cash registers ringing.' Awais Khan, author of No Honour

‘A spellbinding thriller, set against a fascinating background and so beautifully written.’ Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man

'Lucy has created a mesmerising atmosphere in her debut novel. This story is one of dreadful, delirious ambition as well as the relentless drive for perfection - both as a woman and a performer - that cannot be sustained. Every violent act is a protest against this paralysing perfection. Beautiful.' Sally Oliver, author of The Weight of Loss

'Vividly rich and full of depth... A compellingly chilling work by a debut author who makes storytelling look easy. An expertly crafted filmic depiction of gritty twin leads desperate to succeed in these dark streets while harbouring even darker motivations. A novel that entraps you within its web of sinister secrets; I pirouetted from page to page desperate to know what happens. This book has everything and I will be recommending it to everybody.' Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of The 392

‘Ashe trained with the Royal Ballet School, and she is fascinating on the detail of the girls’ lives; on the pain and the bloodied feet that underpin the perfection of the dance... A wonderful, eye-opening debut.’ Times

'Haunting and richly evocative, Clara & Olivia takes the reader on a spell-binding journey through the 1930s London ballet scene, in which the beauty and elegance of the participants is the flip side of a destructive drive for perfection and darkly murderous obsessions. Lucy Ashe’s debut is absolutely en pointe.' Lexie Elliott, author of How to Kill Your Best Friend

'Lucy Ashe’s debut novel is a clever thriller set in a world which she knows so well, having trained at the Royal Ballet School and being a twin... Take a bow, Ms Ashe.' Historical Novel Review

'Clara and Olivia is a delight, a book that is at times historical fiction, at times a love story to ballet, and at times even a bit of a thrilling whodunit.' Bookbag

‘Quite a debut, very assured and confident… A wonderfully told story which will appeal to a wide range of people because of the interesting characters and a strong plot threaded throughout.’ @emreadsthebooks

After training at the Royal Ballet School for eight years, Lucy Ashe decided to change career plans and go to university, where she read English Literature before becoming a teacher. Her poetry and short stories have been published in a number of literary journals and she was shortlisted for the 2020 Impress Prize for New Writers.