What Doesn't Kill Us

Join author Ajay Close at Strathearn Community Library to hear about her latest novel, What Doesn’t Kill Us, a gripping tale of violence, resistance, unexpected friendships and divided loyalties.

A killer stalks the streets of Leeds. Every man is a suspect. Every woman is at risk. But in a house on Cleopatra Street, women are fighting back.

It’s the eve of the 1980s. PC Liz Seeley joins the squad investigating the murders. With a violent boyfriend at home and male chauvinist pigs at work, she is drawn to a feminist collective led by the militant and uncompromising Rowena. There she meets Charmaine – young, Black, artistic, and fighting discrimination on two fronts.

Based on true events, including the 13 Yorkshire Ripper murders and a feminist firebombing campaign against the porn trade in northern England, What Doesn’t Kill Us reveals how much the world has changed since the 1970s – and how much it hasn’t.

‘This book is a must read ... a uniquely raw and authentic voice.’ Maxine Peake

This event celebrates ‘National Crime Reading Month’.