A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford review

About The Book

Book: A Bad, Bad Place
Author: Frances Crawford
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Publisher: Bantam Books
Publication Date (UK): 12th February 2026

My Review

Dinnae worry hen, ma review’s nae spoilers. Ah’m no grass…

It’s 1979. Woolworths is still a thing. 12 year old Janey loves Angel Delight, watching Hong Kong Phooey with her mate and punk music. She even calls her dog Sid Vicious.

Janey lives in a deprived area on the outskirts of Glasgow, where she is wary of glue-sniffers and drunks. One of the tunnels where she walks her dog is littered with discarded “nudie magazines and mattresses with stains.” It’s a rough, poor area but there’s still a sense of community woven through it.

Her world is turned upside down when she discovers a dead body while out walking Sid. The narrative alternates between Janey and her nana, Maggie, creating a lovely juxtaposition between the two ages and points of view.

The story doesn’t just focus on the crime itself, but on its aftermath. Janey becomes obsessed with learning more about the victim, Samantha, both to humanise her and to escape the trauma of what she’s seen. Through Janey’s eyes, we see sharp commentary on how victims are exploited and blamed such as the media using an old bikini photo of Samantha rather than a recent one or the police questions of how Samantha behaved around men or whether she was dressed provocatively. As Janey wrestles with ideas of womanhood and aging, she begins to fear the attention that growing up might bring.

I loved the shifting perspectives between Janey and Maggie and how the authentic Glaswegian vernacular gave the story real texture and heart. I also adored how it didn’t glamorise the murder and instead gave the victim a voice and respect through Janey. I did personally occasionally struggle to keep track of the large cast of characters, but overall, this is a strong and compelling debut.  

“It’s the dead body isn’t it? That’s what made you all different.”
“It made everything different.”

Thank you Bantam for providing me with a proof copy of the book.