US Press

“Scott deftly exposes how life-limiting even the most well-intentioned lies can be, especially for women in a society that remains as patriarchal as Japan’s. . . For the outsider, What’s Left of Me Is Yours is an extraordinary window onto [Japanese] culture. . . Each chapter of this enrapturing novel is elegantly brief and charged with barely contained emotion. Yet Scott’s subject remains vast: the idea that the law itself does not protect the innocent, and ‘that what matters most is knowledge – of ourselves and others.’” —The New York Times Book Review

“Scott’s richly imagined novel considers the many permutations of love and what we are capable of doing in its name.” —The New York Times Book Review Editor’s Pick

“[An] impressive first novel. . . What’s Left of Me Is Yours is a finely written case history of a crime of passion—not only a ‘why-dunnit’ but a ‘what really happened?’ . . . A metaphoric lyricism ripples through this chronicle of an unknown past recovered only in part. . . Scott answers her compelling book’s questions with the skill of a master.” —Wall Street Journal

“Mesmerizing” —LA Times

“Captivating…Scott deftly spins a web through modern day Tokyo in this captivating dual-perspective rendering of a young woman determined to find out the truth behind her mother’s murder.” —Newsweek

“A gripping debut. . . What’s Left of Me Is Yours is an outstanding novel that occupies the interstitial space between crime and literary fiction. . . At once an exploration of failed relationships and a superb look at Japanese culture, this is a debut that will quickly place Scott on the radar. . . A must-read. . . A superb debut. Heartfelt and heartbreaking. . . Scott’s confident, elegant prose and outstanding research skills will surely make her a household name in no time. Start reading her now.” —Criminal Element

“[A] quietly passionate debut. . . Scott’s sumptuous descriptions of locations and meals beguile, and her take on the tabloid-inspired story is subtle, tender and humane. What’s Left of Me Is Yours is a delicate dissection of deception’s impact on relationships, and it provides a window into the Japanese legal system’s effect on women” —Shelf Awareness

“A gripping and instantly compelling story about love and loss and how they shape our lives. . . This is a cleverly constructed, shrewd and beautiful novel with as much tension as heart, and plenty of worthy conversation starters about passion, deception and memory.” —Bookreporter

“Loosely based on a real-life crime… this is a look into not just the break-up culture, but what love means and how it can change over time… smart reading from a wonderful storyteller.” —Bookreporter Bets On

“Scott’s lush debut takes us into the shadowy world of Tokyo’s ‘wakaresaseya’ industry. . . [A] deep dive into obsession and jealousy.” —Crime Reads Most Anticipated Books of 2020

“Fascinating…the book becomes a meditation on intimacy and desire” —Crime Reads Psychological Thrillers You Should Read

“Too good to ignore.” —Bustle

“A simmering tale of passion and murder set in the murky world of the wakaresaseya: agents hired to break up marriages. . . A tender, literary love story [mixed] with a meticulously researched police procedural. . . A strong message of hope and self-realization from an unusually intelligent whodunnit.” —Asian Review of Books

“One of the most distinctive debuts I’ve read this year…Propulsive and psychologically astute, Scott has written an unforgettable story about the limits of love.” —Book Riot

“[An] intense debut. . . Exhilarating. . . Byzantine subplots, distinctive characters, and atmospheric settings will leave readers spellbound.” —Publishers Weekly

“Scott poignantly evokes both a mother trapped by the choices made for her and a daughter learning to deal with her own precarious freedom. She clearly defines the unfortunate effects of the traditional Japanese legal system on women, and with carefully accumulated details describes a Japan both physically and psychologically teetering on the edge of change.” —Booklist

“An unusual and stylish story of love and murder…” —Kirkus Review

UK Press

“Dark, addictive and eye-opening, this is a brilliant debut.” —Stylist, Best Books April 2020

“Inspired by a real life situation, this spellbinding story set against the marriage break-up industry in Japan has devastating consequences you almost forget about, so immersed are you in the character’s lives… An exquisitely crafted masterpiece you’ll be pressing into the hands of others.” —Woman & Home

“[Scott] weaves in fascinating explanations of the legal system… the world she creates in What’s Left of Me Is Yours feels very sure under foot: deeply researched, but delicately described. Scott gives a clear sense of place and time, from contemporary Tokyo to evocations of seaside holiday cabins and shrines in forests… she braids her different characters’ timelines together with sophistication, her storytelling harmoniously well-constructed. The big questions over whether it’s better to lie or to tell a difficult truth, and what might constitute a betrayal, are layered across generations and decades and there is strength in the subtlety with which Scott slowly unpacks them.” —The Guardian/The Observer

“Scott delivers a delicately nuanced account of a complex tragedy rooted in the clash between illicit desire and the obligations of duty.” —Irish Times

“This debut is a triumph! It’s a beautifully paced, spellbinding love story which brilliantly depicts Japan and its people.” —Irish Examiner

“This hotly tipped debut examines the hidden human dramas behind Japan’s murky marriage break-up industry, with the dead woman reclaimed as a vivacious, loving mother trapped in an unhappy marriage… the writing, particularly about memory, is lovely.” —Daily Mail

“This slow-burning, intoxicatingly atmospheric mystery is a fascinating window on to Japanese society.” —The Mail Online

“This incredible debut is one you’ll be pressing into the hands of others… it’s an exquisite read.” —Woman’s Weekly

“This slow-burning novel tells a story of love, betrayal and lies.” —Mail on Sunday/Irish Mail on Sunday

“Magnificent… What’s Left of Me is Yours is all about the why, and to get there one is led elegantly through the story by the victim, Rina Sato.” —Strong Words

“Strong thriller.” —The Independent – Best Books of April

“The wealth of detail about life in Japan is truly fascinating… you’ll have the heart rate of an Olympic hurdler.” —Sunday Express

“Addictive” —Metro/Metro Scotland

“Haunting, moving and a scalpel-like examination of the ways of the heart, set in a culture that still proves unknowable and fascinating, this could be the first step in a great writing career” —Crime Time

“Set in Tokyo and inspired by a true crime, this delves into Sumiko’s quest for the truth about her mum’s murder. Her father hired Kaitaro, a professional “breaker-upper” of marriages to seduce his wife Rina so he can divorce her. But Rina and Kaitaro fall desperately in love. This gripping tale explores the thin line between passion and possession.” —Sunday Post

“Exquisite and truly memorable.” —Woman’s Own

“Scott excels at atmospheric descriptions…A slow-burning, many-layered and powerful mystery.” —The Lady

“A string of violent events that leads a daughter to explore the very notion of love itself.” —New European, Five Great Books

“I will never forget how Sumiko’s story consumed and transported me during one of the hardest weeks of my life. It’s an exquisitely written literary mystery, imbued with emotional truth and a deep understanding of Japan and its culture.” —The Literary Sofa: Spring Spotlight

Author Praise

“I loved it. Gripping, heartbreaking, immersive. I read it with my heart in my throat.” —Sara Collins, bestselling author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton

“Remember that new-discovery, time-stopping, every-moment-is-magical kind of love? That’s what it felt like to read this novel. Then limerence turns to passion which leads to tragedy and suddenly this book is impossible to put down as you speed toward a conclusion that is as surprising as it is satisfying.” —Jamie Ford, bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

“At once luminous and captivating, What’s Left of Me is Yours is the best kind of fiction: it tells a truth. All the easy lies about love fall away, as Stephanie Scott explores its often bitter, twisting, aching core. This is a brilliant, haunting book.” —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder and The Butterfly Girl

“Beautifully written, atmospheric, and immersive, Stephanie Scott’s What’s Left of Me Is Yours tells a propulsive story about heartbreak and loss and the greatest mystery of all, family.” —Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

“This novel is a masterpiece. In What’s Left Of Me Is Yours, Scott has delivered a breathtakingly original and haunting concept in the most exquisite prose. I never wanted it to end.” —Lesley Kara, bestselling author of The Rumor

“A fascinating true crime story is here alchemised into a sensitive, elegiac, heartfelt and passionately controlled novel.” —Adam Foulds, Booker Prize shortlisted author of The Quickening Maze

“Exquisitely written and beautifully told, What’s Left of Me Is Yours is a sensory journey to Japan and the darkest places of the heart. This is a story of the enduring bond between mothers and daughters, and the thin line that separates love and obsession.” —Karen White, bestselling author of All the Ways We Said Goodbye

“Stephanie Scott’s debut novel is poignant, brave, and compelling; it will stay with me for a very long time.” —Clarissa Goenawan, author of Rainbirds

“A gripping legal thriller that digs deep into the complications of human emotion. A daughter’s quest for truth probes the delicate intersection of trust and betrayal, passion and loyalty, justice and compassion.” —Lynn Kutsukake, author of The Translation of Love

“A brilliant debut.” —Louise Doughty, author of Platform Seven and Apple Tree Yard

“Stephanie Scott has achieved that rare thing in her debut – a literary love story that reads like an assured thriller. Compelling, moving and intense, What’s Left of Me is Yours reminds us that love is never without its dark side, families are never without secrets, and the deepest loss contains a seed of hope – if it can be found.” —Stella Duffy

“With painterly care, Stephanie Scott shows us a tempestuous side of Japan unfamiliar to most. What’s Left of Me is Yours is a virtuoso’s debut.” —Jing-Jing Lee, author of How We Disappeared

“A beautiful, beautiful book that defies genre – and my words… This is truly an epic, meticulously and lovingly researched, with such exquisite description and detail that I read the same lines over, many times…I will not forget this book for a long time.” —Louise Beech, bestselling author of How to Be Brave

“Stephanie Scott’s story of a woman’s murder sweeps the reader into a world in which love is fused with betrayal and truth is locked away. Beautiful, delicate and brutal, What’s Left Of Me Is Yours, is difficult to put down, impossible to forget.” —Marti Leimbach, bestselling author of Dying Young and Daniel Isn’t Talking

“What’s Left Of Me is Yours is a formidably accomplished debut that offers a glimpse into the dark and intriguing world of the Japanese marriage breakup industry. Using multiple perspectives Scott deftly creates an impressionistic narrative in a process of slow revelation. A young lawyer seeks the truth about her mother’s death and as fragments of the past emerge, through photographs and legal statements, she begins to understand the elusive nature of truth and the proximity of love and death. Part Bildungsroman, part detective story this is a deeply moving and beautifully written novel. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.” —EC Fremantle, author of The Poison Bed

“A gripping, beautiful, heart-breaking debut. Stephanie Scott stuns with her considerable talent in this Tokyo-set story of a young woman who dissects another’s life—that of her murdered mother—in order to find the truth about her own past.” —Abigail Tarttelin, author of Dead Girls

“A powerful, ambitious and stunning debut. This is an extraordinary, humane and shattering story of the lies we tell to protect ourselves and others. Scott’s incredible novel brims with psychological complexity, forensic research and characters shaped by unimaginable loss.” —Jackie Copelton, author of A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding

“A strange, moving and disturbing story, beautifully written. Japan’s high-rise cityscapes and remote rural towns come alive through Stephanie Scott’s elegant prose.” —Emily Midorikawa, co-author of A Secret Sisterhood

“Sensuous and unsettling, Scott’s prose will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Although at times a shatteringly brutal story, Scott carries the reader with great skill towards a surprisingly redemptive ending. Storytelling at its best.” —Guinevere Glasfurd, Costa Prize shortlisted author of The Words in My Hand

“What’s Left of Me is Yours is part love story, part crime novel, exploring both romantic and family relationships as it charts a young woman’s search for the truth about her mother’s life and death. Set against a stylishly evoked backdrop of both past and present Japan, this is a beautifully written and meticulously researched novel. The illicit love story at the heart of this book is complex and unusual, but told with such insight that the deep, intense passion the couple experience almost rises from the page. A novel that is sure to stand out from the crowd.” —Susan Elliot Wright, bestselling author of The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood

“A stunning debut: tragically beautiful, sensuous and haunting. Wow, just wow.” —Fiona Mitchell, author of The Maid’s Room

“This novel is an exquisite legal thriller for the big screen; a pre-digital montage of newspaper cuttings, photographs, VHS recordings, official reports, letters and forms. Stephanie Scott excavates family and food, love and death with forensic skill. It’s an emotional rollercoaster you won’t want to exit, even after the very last page. Phenomenal!” —Patience Agbabi, Canterbury Poet Laureate, author of Telling Tales and The Infinite

Best-Of Lists

New York Times Book Review Editor’s Pick
The Guardian/Observer Top Ten Debuts of 2020
Audible Editor’s Select Pick (US)
LA Times Best Crime Novels (Spring)
Lithub Books Making A Splash
Newsweek Must-Read Fiction
Bustle Most Anticipated Books of Summer
Bustle Debuts That Are Too Good To Ignore
Crime Reads Most Anticipated Books of 2020
Crime Reads Five Psychological Thrillers You Should Read
Crime Reads Eight Debut Novels You Should Read This June
Goodreads Most Popular Books Published in June 2020
Goodreads Debuts To Watch 2020 (podcast)
Bookreporter Bets On
Book Riot Awesome Books Out In The UK
The Independent Best Books Of April
The Mail On Sunday Best New Fiction
Stylist Magazine Best New Books
Woman & Home May Book Club
Woman’s Weekly May Book Club
Metro New Debuts
Mail Online Staycation Sensations
The New European Five Great Books