Judy Blundell

Murder mystery with a dash of romance, a strongly written coming-of-age novel set in the aftermath of the Second World War which won the 2008 National Book Award in the USA. It's 1947 and 15-year-old Evie is desperate to grow up, go on dates and look glamorous like her mother. But then a handsome and mysterious ex-GI turns up. Peter served with Evie's stepfather during the war and seems to have a strange control over him; slowly, Evie realises she's falling for Peter, despite his dark secrets.