'I really didn't want to get to the end of this book but I couldn't put it down either, I loved it from the first page to the last' Reader review, 5 stars

'A tender and heartwarming coming of age story ... threaded with an intriguing mystery that kept me turning the pages late into the night. This book is a sure-fire hit' Kate Storey, author of The Memory Library


The past has never left Billy. It's just been waiting for him to come and find it...


It's been over thirty years since Billy last called Northern Ireland home. Back then, his secret love for schoolfriend Conor was the only shining light that kept him going during troubled times. That is, until their romance was tragically cut short when Conor disappeared without a trace.

Now a phone call draws Billy back home when his mother falls into a coma. While sorting through old belongings, he stumbles upon an envelope bearing his name. Inside, he finds a mysterious note and a mixtape left by Conor - dated the very day he disappeared in 1989.

But who sent it? Why did his mother keep it hidden? And what really happened to Conor?

As Billy sets off to find the answers to a mystery that's followed him for years, he soon realises that uncovering the truth about his lost past may come at a high cost. But laying the ghosts of that past to rest might be the only way to finally set himself free...

From the author of The Vanishing of Margaret Small comes a compelling and deeply nostalgic coming-of-age tale that promises to touch your heart and stay with you long after the last page. Packed with humour and tenderness, it's perfect for fans of The List of Suspicious Things, The Keeper of Stories and The Last List of Mabel Beaumont.

Praise for The Lost Past of Billy McQueen:

' Stirring and satisfying, with a terrific sense of time and place, a great story and some brilliant pop culture references ' Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

' Nostalgic, engrossing and thoroughly intriguing, this is a great book that I read in one long sitting. The references are spot on and really hit the emotions of both the 80s and now. Really can't recommend highly enough' Reader review, 5 stars

'Stirring, nostalgic and authentic ... captivating from the first page, with the kind of characters that could only come from the heart of a true storyteller' Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman

' A book so good I couldn't wait to carry on reading ... a mix of warmth, lovable and relatable characters' Reader review, 5 stars

' Utterly captivating ... This is a story that will stay with a reader for a long time after the last full stop. An absolute must of a read' Reader review, 5 stars