This is Aoife Clifford's debut novel, but she has won the two major Australian crime writing prizes in short story form and has been shortlisted for the UK Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger. In 2013 she was awarded an Australian Society of Author's mentorship for All These Perfect Strangers. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and three children.
'A beautifully crafted tale of treachery, tangled perceptions, and family dysfunction. Clifford masterfully packages skewed realities and hard-held grudges in a ride that breathlessly picks up speed until its last shocking conclusion. Impossible to put down!' -- Julie McElwain, author of A Murder in Time 'Second Sight put me right there in Kinsale with Eliza Carmody. Heavy with secrets, twisty, propulsive, and beautifully written, it grabbed me from the first sentence and just didn't let go. Impossible to put down and even more impossible to shake after you're finished.' -- William Boyle, author of A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself 'Clifford absolutely nailed it again. The characters were beautifully drawn and the small town intrigues kept me turning pages to the big reveal at the end. Brava!' -- Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow 'Skilfully plotted and intricate, Second Sight is another engrossing read by one of our most talented crime writers. Aoife Clifford's second novel explores how the impact of decisions made decades ago can reverberate, to devastating effect, in the present . . . Highly recommended.' -- Anna George, author of What Came Before 'Aoife Clifford is brilliant at showing how the past is a strong, pulsing stream that infects and directs the present. She's done it again with Second Sight, a pacy, gripping thriller with thick ropes of regret, trauma, misunderstood love and misdirected duty slithering beneath.' -- Emily Maguire, author of An Isolated Incident 'With Second Sight, Aoife Clifford confirms herself as one of Australia's up-and-coming crime writers . . . A compelling story about secrets, small town loyalties, and lies.' -- Emma Viskic, author of Resurrection Bay 'With its shifting viewpoints and sharply observed characters, Second Sight is a shrewdly paced account of a young litigation lawyer's investigation into a suspicious fire and her own troubled history.' -- Garry Disher, author of Bitter Wash Road 'A gripping, gut-wrenching thriller. The novel moves at a tantalizing pace. Second Sight is an excellent, tense, slick mystery that investigates a small town's evil secrets.' * Foreword Reviews (starred) * 'I was addicted from page one and I read Second Sight like I was on fire. Perfect pacing. Aoife Clifford has painted a wonderful portrait of a town struggling under the weight of its secrets. I couldn't get enough of Eliza Carmody.' -- Sarah Bailey, author of The Dark Lake 'You won't put this book down until the final page is done.' * Adelaide Advertiser * 'A gripping thriller. The tension is high, the pace rapid, and the plot primed to keep the pages turning. Clifford's interwoven themes let her tackle significant contemporary issues.' * The Australian * 'Incisive prose that establishes Clifford as something of a stylist. Trouble and teenagers are at the heart of this fine crime novel that introduces us to Melbourne lawyer Eliza Carmody . . . Nice work.' * Sydney Morning Herald * 'A thematically rich study in fragile memories and outright duplicity. And yes, it is utterly gripping.' * BookPage * 'Fans of Jane Harper's mysteries will feel right at home.' * Booklist * 'This brilliantly crafted, slow-burn crime novel slides with delicious subtlety from a story that begins in small-town reminiscences and regrets, moves into amateur investigation blended with personal history and deep secrets, and then takes a plunge into driving thriller territory. The author tugs hard at universal human emotions as she explores themes of grief and the unreliability of memory. Clifford is definitely a writer to watch.' * Publishers Weekly (starred) *