Laana returns to her small hometown following the death of her grandmother and becomes obsessed with the local ghost story of Carolyn Hayward. Who was she? Why does every reference or local memory of her give conflicting information about her life, work, and the circumstances of her death?
Laana's research takes her on a whirlwind journey through her hometown's history and reconnects her with old friends, prompting her to reflect on her own story and the ways she was and wasn't there for those in her life.
Deliciously Gothic and fiercely feminist, Every Version Ends in Death is an anti-ghost story that forces us to reflect on grief, memory, death, hauntings, and ultimately how women's stories are told.
About the Author :
Aliya Chaudhry is a fiction writer and journalist. As a journalist, she has covered music and internet culture for publications including Alternative Press, The Daily Beast, Kerrang!, MTV, NME, Slate, Stereogum, The Verge and VICE. She has lived in the United Kingdom, Pakistan, the United States and Kenya and is currently based in London. Her short story, "The Ghost of Creek Hill," an extract of what became Every Version Ends in Death, was previously published in Haunt Publishing's May 2022 anthology When Other People Saw Us, They Saw The Dead. This is her first novel.
Review :
"Chaudhry has a knack for capturing the atmosphere of small towns and how gossip turns into legend. Beautifully drawn and goes in a really satisfying direction. Absolutely brilliant!"
Fiona Barnett, author of The Dark Between the Trees
"Every Version Ends in Death is a hauntingly beautiful ghost story that explores life, death, and, most importantly, the in-between. As Aliya Chaudhry delves deep into the mystery at the crux of her novel, the lines between the living and the dead blur, revealing a poignant reflection on female grief, memory, and the stories we leave behind. This is a Gothic feminist powerhouse of a novel that will leave you spellbound, challenging your notions of hauntings and humanity along with the women who shape our world."
Lauren T. Davila, author and anthology editor
"In this thoughtful meditation on death, Aliya Chaudhry finds beauty in both the mundane and the morbid."
Diversity in Horror
"A thoughtful meditation on the things, people and events that haunt us. Chaudhry gently leads us on a journalistic approach to ghost hunting - sifting through urban legends, historical documents and conversations with old friends - to uncover the truth."
Rhiannon A Grist, author of The Queen of the High Fields
"Quietly haunting. Every Version Ends in Death explores the challenges of adolescence and the realities of growing up through the lens of guilt, grief and obsession."
Joanna Corrance, author of The Gingerbread Men and John's Eyes
