Sheep’s Clothing

Contributors

By Celia Dale

Introduction by Chelsea G. Summers

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Aug 18, 2026
Page Count
264 pages
Publisher
Union Square & Co.
ISBN-13
9781454999195

Price

$9.99

Price

$12.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. ebook $9.99 $12.99 CAD
  2. Trade Paperback $17.99 $23.99 CAD

Two female con artists develop a scheme to exploit unsuspecting elderly women in this tense and disturbing tale, newly repackaged for Union Square & Co.’s Herald Classics line.

After their release from prison, Grace and Janice set in motion a cunning plan devised during their final weeks in lockup: pose as Social Services representatives to gain access to the homes of vulnerable older women who live alone. Their formula is almost foolproof—first they knock the old ladies out with crushed-up sleeping pills, then they make off with the cash and valuables. From libraries and supermarkets to bingo halls and post offices, the pair of scammers select their marks with a calculated, ruthless efficiency. But when one of their victims is found dead of an overdose, the whole house of cards threatens to come tumbling down.

Originally published in 1988, Celia Dale’s vividly realized final novel is a darkly humorous and suspenseful exploration of greed, deception, and moral ambiguity. Reissued in the UK by Daunt Books in 2023, it was hailed as "masterly" by The Times and "chilling" by The Guardian​.  

Series:


Celia Dale

About the Author

Celia Dale (1912–2011) was an English author and book reviewer. She wrote thirteen novels and a collection of short stories, with a focus on crime fiction later in her career. In 1986, she won the Crime Writers’ Association Veuve Clicquot Short Story Award for “Lines of Communication,” which appears in her collection A Personal Call and Other Stories.

Learn more about this author