A gritty and evocative coming-of-age thriller set in the exotic rainforests and cities of Guatemala

Adoptee Lia has followed her Spanish teacher, Rafael, to Guatemala, for romance and adventure. She doesn’t know much about the country but she’s happy because she’s finally living life on her own terms. On their first night together, Lia decides to declare her feelings, but before she gets the chance, the unimaginable happens and Rafael is brutally killed.

Devastated, Lia travels to Rafael’s family home in the countryside, determined to find out why. But not everyone is keen on her investigation and Lia has to decide what is more important: living without answers or taking the deadly consequences that come with the truth. Set against a backdrop of civil unrest and huge political change, Naylor shows the powerful impact the past can have, even decades later.

About the Author

LA NAYLOR has been a fisherwoman, the CEO of a charity, a wreck diver and an English teacher. She was awarded a grant from the Campaign for Learning to write a non-fiction book on miscarriages of justice in the UK. That book, Judge for Yourself, was a bestseller and was praised by The Guardian, Michael Mansfield QC and many more. Naylor received a lifetime membership to the Millennium Awards Fellowship which recognises, celebrates and records the achievements of individuals working to strengthen and enrich their communities. The Land of Trees is her first novel. She lives in London.