We’re excited to bring another exciting new voice to North American readers. Ameera Patel’s genre-crossing novel Outside the Lines is part thriller, part family drama, part literary fiction, told from multiple viewpoints. Set in the middle-class suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa, the novel’s narrative also crosses lines— class, racial, and religious—to peel back the facade of its characters’ seemingly placid suburban lives.
Drug-addicted Cathleen is kidnapped and her distracted family fails to notice her absence; Zilindile, who services Cathleen’s drug habit, and his Muslim Indian girlfriend Farhana, struggle to make sense of their relationship despite their very different backgrounds; and domestic worker Flora and the silent Runyararo, who was painting Cathleen’s house until accused of theft by Cathleen’s father, become entangled with romance and criminals, leading to the ultimate tragedy.
The novel has earned praise from several outlets— Shelf Awareness, CrimeReads, Mystery Scene, and a starred review from Publishers Weekly. We’re so proud to be the North American publisher for this book. Outside the Lines is out now, and available at your favorite bookstore and through our site. You can also head over to CrimeReads to read an excerpt from the novel.
We caught up with Ameera to chat about her book, her writing process, and how her experience as an actor and playwright helps her in her fiction writing.
