This is the story of Emily Heath and dead-end town, known locally as "The Sham". When the quiet town is turned uspside down with mysterious writings popping up and one of Emily's classmate's body is washed up by the floods, the suspicions turns to her boyfriend Jack. Jack is very sick and little is known about his background. Emily's loyalties tie her to Jack when everybody is looking to pin the mysterious things on him. 
 Emily is a loyal one. She stands by Jack no matter what and it helped me warm up to her. She also stands up to bullying, another admiring quality about her. Jack's character is well developed and well portrayed. There are a couple of more important characters in the book but I do not know how to talk about them without giving away the plot. Let's just say that each character has an important role to play. Each have been placed exactly where they should be and each of them are well developed. 
 The plot is something else on the whole. It is so intricately woven that every little thing and every little action means something. The mysteries in the book keep you glued to the pages and keep you guessing. Every time you think you have got it, something turns up that change everything you think you know. The author's language is simple and the narration is complimentary to the characters and the plot. 
 Overall, this was a very interesting book that I simply had to finish in one sitting.