SIMONE VAN DER VLUGT

THE REUNION (DE REÜNIE)

Shortlisted for the NS Publieksprijs ‘You need to catch your breath after reading THE REUNION, you've got to absorb it and let it sink in. You've been warned!’ Libelle ‘A smartly constructed plot in smooth prose.’ NRC Handelsblad ‘The story is written with a fast pace and excels particularly in depicting everyday situations.’ Trouw ‘Becomes increasingly hard to put down. Thrilling.’ Cosmopolitan ‘It's got quite a denouement.’ Opzij ‘In just two pages the beautiful prologue immediately produces a feeling of tension. Tension that keeps you entangled throughout the story and ensures that you read The Reunion in one sitting.’ Crimezone.nl ‘An asset to the Dutch thriller genre. Van der Vlugt certainly measures up to the British writing duo Nicci French.’ Friesch Dagblad

The announcement of a high-school reunion turns Sabine’s life suddenly on its head. It releases an important event in her youth, the disappearance of her classmate Isabel. Once they were best friends, but when Isabel grew into the most popular girl in the school, she dropped Sabine like a shot. And that’s not the only thing she did to her…Still, Sabine feels extremely guilty. Maybe Isabel would never have vanished if Sabine had cycled home with her that day…
Now, 10 years later, there is still that gnawing feeling of guilt, and more and more fragments of memory from that time are coming back. Sabine begins to root around in the past, and comes closer and closer to the true, terrifying story behind Isabel’s disappearance.
A hugely exciting literary thriller, presenting intriguing themes, such as the suppression of traumatic events, the competition between teenagers, and also between colleagues, love, and above all friendship.

Over 140,000 copies sold in NL

‘A thriller that, without physical violence or big armoury, still generates suspense which is maintained right until the end.’ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
‘This lightly and sweetly narrated psycho-thriller develops an extraordinary maelstrom.’ Spiegel
‘This book is to be highly recommended to all fans of crime fiction who have strong nerves.’ Glamour

Material: Finished copies of Dutch edition (336 pages), and sample English translation
Sales: Ambo Anthos (original publisher) NL; Diana Verlag/Heyne Germany; World English rights sold to Text Publishing Australia; Presses de la Cite France; Kowalski Editore Italy; Seix Barral/Planeta World Spanish; Muza Poland.

SHADOW SISTER (SCHADUWZUSTER)

Simone van der Vlugt's second novel, published in October 2005, tells the story of Marjolein a passionate, committed teacher in a black secondary school in Rotterdam. She is proud of her great contact with the kids but one day she comes face to face with another side of the teaching. She is threatened by one of her students during a class and from that moment on her life changes completely and she finds herself caught between loyalty to her school and fear of the threats that just don’t stop. Who has it in for her and just how far are they prepared to go? Another tense thriller, written with great wit and pace about how ordinary everyday life can suddenly change into hell. Over 100,000 copies sold. Material: Finished copies of Dutch edition Sales: Ambo Anthos (original publisher) NL; Diana Verlag/Heyne Germany; Text Australia (WEL).

SIMONE VAN DER VLUGT (1966) is an acclaimed Dutch writer, well known for her young adult novels. The REUNION was her debut novel for adults. She lives with her husband and two children in Alkmaar, The Netherlands. Website: www.simonevandervlugt.nl / www.literairethrillers.nl