Emma Rous’s debut novel The Au Pair – a tautly plotted mystery of dark family secrets, out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Seraphine Mayes and her brother Danny are known as the summer-born Summerbournes: the first set of summer twins to be born at Summerbourne House. But on the day they were born their mother threw herself to her death, their au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark-cloaked figures and a stolen baby.

Now 25, and mourning the recent death of her father, Seraphine uncovers a family photograph taken on the day the twins were born featuring both parents posing with just one baby. Seraphine soon becomes fixated with the notion that she and Danny might not be twins after all, that she wasn’t the baby born that day and that there was more to her mother’s death than she has ever been told …

Why did their beloved au pair flee that day?
Where is she now?
Does she hold the key to what really happened?

Reviews, news and interviews:

Entrancing, compelling, atmospheric, reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier. A beautiful read that delivers a shocking and satisfying ending.
– Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs Parrish

With a transporting sense of place and gripping story line, The Au Pair delves into the darkest of family secrets. A great read.
– Eve Chase

Don’t just pick up and read Emma Rous’ Summerbourne, dive into it and get washed away with it.
– A bookseller

This will keep you turning those pages. The characters are still playing on my mind.
– Jane Corry, bestselling author of My Husband’s Wife

About the author

Emma Rous grew up in England, Indonesia, Kuwait, Portugal and Fiji, and from a young age she had two ambitions: to write stories, and to look after animals. She studied veterinary medicine and zoology at the University of Cambridge, and worked as a veterinary surgeon for eighteen years before starting to write fiction. Emma lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her husband and three sons, and she now writes full time. The Au Pair is her first novel. It will be published in 10 countries, in nine languages. She is currently writing her second book.

Categories Fiction International

Tags Emma Rous Jonathan Ball Publishers New books New releases The Au Pair