Port Brighton hates outsiders. The small coastal town has its own ways of dealing with the evil, the foolish, the misled, and it holds tightly to them. But the seams start to split after two deaths occur on the same tragic night: a baby abandoned at the foot of a lighthouse, and a drunken teenager drowned in the storming sea.

Livvy is an insider. She keeps a watchful eye on what's happening in town while looking out for her troubled older brother. What has broken inside him - and why?

Marie is an outsider. She's escaped Port Brighton and started a new life, but she can't forget the night at the lighthouse - it changed her family forever.

As gossip fuels rumours and tensions erode trust, the bonds that keep Port Brighton together begin to fray, threatening to expose the truth about more than just the two deaths ...


WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS BEST ADULT NOVEL 2024


Praise for When One of Us Hurts

'In When One of Us Hurts, Vuu shines a light into the darkest corners of small-town life. This a bold and compelling debut, and Monica Vuu is an author to watch.' Mark Brandi

'Monica Vuu is a bright new talent in Australian crime fiction. The twists and surprises came fast and deadly. I was up all night!' Candice Fox

'Twisted, mysterious and darkly creepy, When One of Us Hurts is a small-town crime fiction at its shocking best. Monica Vuu has crafted a memorable debut full of macabre surprises.' Ashley Kalagian Blunt