Amy is struggling after her father’s suicide. Overcome one day, she smashes his mug against the wall and floral ceramic shards litter the floor. In a suitcase he kept hidden, she finds notebooks filled with writing by her estranged mother which contain hints of a mysterious trauma in her mum’s childhood in Iran. Curiosity erodes the rage Amy has harboured since her mum ran away to Mexico and she contacts her to let her know about her father’s death. Her mum replies with a ticket to Mexico City. At first, Amy is reluctant, but after a string of bad decisions, the trip takes on a new appeal, so she goes.

Jay’s train hits and kills someone. He is tormented by CCTV footage he saw of the person, and the sound of crying wakes him in the night. His relationship crumbles and he moves into an oppressive flat where he cuts his foot on a floral ceramic shard. Drawn by a poster on the tube and a love of Diego Rivera, he buys a ticket to Mexico City, where he sets  up a studio in his hotel room and works on paintings of the man he hit in the tunnel.

Amy and Jay’s paths keep crossing. They end up at the same hotel and they start to explore the city together, albeit hampered by the cut in Jay’s foot which is getting worse. As they fall for each other, the true complexity of their connection begins to emerge.

Into the Tunnel was longlisted for the 2020 Mslexia First Novel Competition.