2015 Costa Book of the Year winner announced
News is just in that The Lie Tree, a Victorian murder mystery by Young Adult fiction and children’s author Frances Hardinge, has been named the 2015 Costa Book of the Year. It is only the second children’s book to take the overall prize, and the first since Philip Pullman won with The Amber Spyglass in 2001.
The Lie Tree, the author’s seventh novel, tells the story of Faith Sunderly whose family have shipped out from England to a remote island to escape scandal. When Faith’s father is found dead under mysterious circumstances, she is determined to untangle the truth from the lies. Searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree that feeds off whispered lies. It will take all Faith’s courage to discover the truth behind the curious events on the island of Vane, and what, or who, killed her beloved father.
James Heneage, chair of the final judges, said: “Part horror, part detective, part historical, this is a fantastic story with great central characters and narrative tension. It’s not only a fabulous children’s book but a book that readers of all ages will love.”