Description
Review “Twists and turns and family secrets abound in this tightly plotted thriller.” ― Booklist “Personal demons, childhood traumas and class warfare add up to a gritty tale of vengeance.” ― Kirkus Reviews “A well-written psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn and Daniel Woodrell. ” ― Library Journal “An evocative novel about murder and intrigue in a small mining town . . . compulsively readable.” -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of ORPHAN TRAIN“A fearless exploration of the line between mental illness and true evil, a place many thriller writers visit but without the kind of fearless insights O’Dell reveals in this powerful novel.” ― The New York Times Book Review About the Author Tawni O’Dell is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Back Roads , which was an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection. She is also a contributor to several anthologies, including Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female . Her works have been published in more than forty countries.
Features & Highlights
- “A fearless exploration of the line between mental illness and true evil, a place many thriller writers visit but without the kind of fearless insights [Tawni] O’Dell reveals in this powerful novel” (
- The New York Times Book Review
- ).
- Dr. Sheridan Doyle—a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist—is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office whenever a twisted killer’s mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he’s still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unraveling of his mother years ago. Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners’ deaths. Teaming up with veteran detective Rafe, a father-like figure from his youth, Danny—in pursuit of a killer—comes dangerously close to startling truths about his family, his past, and himself. With “poignant…achingly beautiful prose” (
- San Diego Union
- ) and “rich, compassionate storytelling” (
- Entertainment Weekly
- ), O’Dell weaves a masterful, thrilling tale reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s
- Gone Girl
- , where the past and present collide to put Lost Creek’s long-lived ghosts to bed.
