‘Ashe trained with the Royal Ballet School, and she is fascinating on the detail of the girls’ lives; on the pain and the bloodied feet that underpin the perfection of the dance, on, as Samuel says, “this mad life you all live, always on the edge of pain and exhaustion”. A wonderful, eye-opening debut.’

‘This unsettling tale… As the story follows the rehearsals for the ballet Coppelia, we receive a quick-fire education on how the ballet works and why it inspires obsession… An original thriller with a crafty plot.’

‘Lucy Ashe’s debut novel is a clever thriller set in a world which she knows so well, having trained at the Royal Ballet School and being a twin. It’s a story of sisterly love, ambition and obsession… Take a bow, Ms Ashe.’

‘Clara & Olivia dances with historical details, with unease and atmosphere. You can feel the mist of the London canals, hear the ballet shoes touching the stage.’

‘A spellbinding thriller, set against a fascinating background and so beautifully written.’

'This book was a joy to read from start to finish. Ashe’s writing is razor-sharp with a lyrical edge to it… Rich, mesmerising and compelling, Clara & Olivia heralds the arrival of a bright new voice in literary fiction.’

'Vividly rich and full of depth, Clara & Olivia is a compellingly chilling work by a debut author who makes storytelling look easy. A novel that entraps you within its web of sinister secrets; I pirouetted from page to page desperate to know what happens.’

'Lucy has created a mesmerising atmosphere in her debut novel. This story is one of dreadful, delirious ambition as well as the relentless drive for perfection - both as a woman and a performer - that cannot be sustained. Beautiful.’

‘Haunting and richly evocative, Clara & Olivia takes the reader on a spell-binding journey through the 1930s London ballet scene, in which the beauty and elegance of the participants is the flip side of a destructive drive for perfection and darkly murderous obsessions. Lucy Ashe’s debut is absolutely en pointe.’

‘Ashe’s persuasive behind-the-scenes ballet sections lend heft and authenticity to what could otherwise be mere window dressing, and she transitions her narrative from charming slice of historical fiction to pulse-pounding suspense at an expert pace. It’s a fiercely memorable debut from a writer to watch.’

‘Based on the real ballet scene in prewar London, this immersive tale will be a delight for historical-fiction fans who like a touch of suspense.’

“A story of danger and obsession set in pre-war London, this debut written by a former dancer is a psychological thriller with an artistic twist.”

‘The Turnout meets The Phantom of the Opera in The Dance of the Dolls by Lucy Ashe, a haunting debut literary thriller about obsessive love featuring two ballet dancers—identical twin sisters Olivia and Clara Marionetta—in atmospheric pre-war London.’

‘The ballet world sets the stage for this terrifying psychological thriller that takes place in pre-war London.’