The First Time Lauren Pailing Died

Alyson Rudd was born in Liverpool, raised in West Lancashire and educated at the London School of Economics. She is a sports journalist at The Times and lives in South West London. She has written two works of non-fiction. The First Time Lauren Pailing Died is her first novel.

'A stylish time-slip story à la Sliding Doors' Guardian (hottest-tipped debuts of 2019)

'Written with a tender touch, it's an impressive debut' Woman's Own

'Assured an intriguing... emotionally charged' Daily Mail

'A page turner of a debut' Grazia

'Alyson Rudd explores love and loss with nuance' i newspaper

'Stylish, alluring, utterly gripping. An intricate, elegantly written time-slip tale that keeps you guessing until the last page.' Lisa O'Kelly, Observer

'[A] sweetly sad study of grief, death and loss' Irish Independent

'Stunning, moving and very clever' Mark Lawson

'Beautiful, extremely moving and expertly done, with a lightness of touch that belies the complexity behind the plotting. I loved it (and I cried several times!)' Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

'Intriguing ... an impressive debut' Woman

'A mystery, a romance, a time-slip. But most of all it is a delight ... Lauren is a constant character, captivating our hearts' My Weekly

'A wonderful novel. The story weaves in and out of the timelines effortlessly...brilliantly paced' Katie S (Netgalley)

'A very clever book and one which I enjoyed very much' Debra F (Netgalley)

'Where the novel really succeeds is in the delineation of love and loss, of growing and diminishing, of grief and mourning. The way in which [Alyson Rudd] conveys difficult emotions through dialogue is the real highlight of this story' Sarah D (Netgalley)

'From the opening pages, the tale shimmers with grief, loss and enough period detail to lend authenticity to what is, after all, a slightly incredible (in the truest sense) story. Claims of echoes of Kate Atkinson and Maggie O'Farrell are entirely justified. Tender, evocative, affecting and utterly gorgeous' Ophelia S (Netgalley)

'Thought-provoking and beautifully written. I loved it' Sheri K (Netgalley)

'Unforgettable' Alexander H (Netgalley)

'5* - irresistible' Lucy G (Netgalley)