Razorhurst
Justine Larbalestier
Language: English
Pages: 336
ISBN: 1616956259
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
"Vivid and bloody and bold and fast—I feel like Razorhurst is in my bones now."
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert
The notoriously bloody history of a mob-run Sydney, Australia neighborhood is fertile ground for this historical thriller with a paranormal twist: two girls' ability to see the many ghosts haunting Razorhurst.
Sydney’s deadly Razorhurst neighborhood, 1932. Gloriana Nelson and Mr. Davidson, two ruthless mob bosses, have reached a fragile peace—one maintained by “razor men.” Kelpie, orphaned and homeless, is blessed (and cursed) with the ability to see Razorhurst’s many ghosts. They tell secrets that the living can’t know about the cracks already forming in the mobs’ truce.
Kelpie meets Dymphna Campbell, Gloriana’s prize moll, over the body of the latest of Dymphna’s beaus to meet an untimely end—a string that’s earned her the nickname the “Angel of Death.” Dymphna can see ghosts, too, and she knows that Gloriana’s hold is crumbling one henchman at a time. As loyalties shift and betrayal threatens the two girls at every turn, Dymphna is determined to rise to the top with Kelpie at her side.
From the Hardcover edition.
the same boss as him. Jimmy Palmer reached through Dymphna, trying to touch Kelpie. Kelpie felt her insides crawl. She concentrated on the voices downstairs. But everyone was yelling. It was one thing she preferred about ghosts: mostly, they were much quieter. The first of the factory whistles blew. A lorry rattled along Albion Street. The Hills were waking up. “Tell Dymphna that Davidson made him do it. So she shouldn’t be angry with Snowy. But she needs to get away. Pretty sure Davidson
Palmer asked. “What are they doing?” Kelpie’s muscles tightened, ready to run, but Dymphna kept pulling her along with the steady stream of foot traffic towards more ghosts than had a right to be together. “Can ghosts kill?” Palmer asked. “Other ghosts, I mean. I don’t fancy going over there.” “Look, it’s not going to kill you to leave the Hills,” Dymphna said. Kelpie wished they’d both stop saying that word kill. It felt like they were inviting more killing. “It’s not ‘here be dragons’ on the
stared at them. Kelpie wondered why he wasn’t ignoring her and Dymphna. Most ghosts ignored the living. She smiled at him. He did not smile back. Kelpie had never been on a tram before. She’d thought they’d be free of ghosts. She didn’t know why. Trams were filled with people. People could die anywhere. Next time the tram stopped, she was going to run. She hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to find her way back to the Hills. “Dymphna’s scared,” Palmer said as they rattled along. Every time the
long time ago. “Not happy about that copper. Bluey had no business doing that. I told him no bodies. There’s nothing worse for business than dead coppers.” “Bluey’s a bit hard to control, Glory.” Glory smiled. “At least we got rid of the body. What a bother that was. I’ve had words with Bluey. Stern words.” Dymphna didn’t doubt it. She took a deep breath. “Big Bill tried to grab me.” Glory’s face tightened. Dymphna realised that she looked tired. Glory rarely looked tired. She was the one
set. I mentioned Big Bill, but I forgot one!” He slapped his thigh and continued laughing. Kelpie followed his gaze. Bluey Denham strode down the street towards them, a double-barrelled shotgun over his undamaged shoulder. “Blood,” Palmer said. “Lots of blood.” Old Ma’s Death Kelpie had been too young to realise it, but she watched Old Ma die. Kelpie hadn’t known how to read the signs of illness and decline, because everyone in Frog Hollow was ill and fading away, whether they were alive or