The Girls by Emma Cline

A Waterstones Paperback of the Year 2026

“Such great dialogue and action… a frisky murder story and terrific reading.” — John Self, The Times

“Startlingly offbeat.” — Gore Vidal

“Absolutely wicked.” — Armistead Maupin

“[For] those who feel Barbara Pym-ish on some days and Stephen King-ish on others… The Girls charms us as only certain tales ‘of village life’ can.” — The Washington Post

Two women. One baby. And a man in the septic tank.

In their lovely Cotswolds village, Janet and Susan are known simply as ‘the girls’. Partners in love and work, proprietors of a picturesque shop, they lead an enviably peaceful life.

But after one moment of surprising passion, the girls’ lives take a deeply unsettling turn.

Part dark comedy, part crime thriller, part cosy love story, The Girls will ensure you never look on Middle England quite so quaintly again.