Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | MYSTERY DON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | MYSTERY DON | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | MYSTERY DON | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls--one who returns, one who doesn't--and the forensics expert searching for answers.
Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods.
A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. It's a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole's older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole's body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister's fate. Instead, the first clue to Nicole's disappearance comes from another body that shows up in Livia's morgue--that of a young man connected to Nicole's past. Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken. Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected.
But Megan knows more than she revealed in her blockbuster book. Flashes of memory are coming together, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chilling memoir describes. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you've been looking for.
PRAISE FOR CHARLIE DONLEA AND SUMMIT LAKE
"A gem of a mystery, fast‑paced and suspenseful." --Catherine Coulter, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Fans of contemporary suspense will enjoy this brisk read." -- Booklist
"An exciting debut, with all the right touches, captivating from the first page to the last. There's a bright future ahead for this newcomer to the thriller genre--definitely a talent to watch." --Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author
"Donlea keeps readers guessing throughout. The whodunit plot is clever and compelling . . . for fans of nonstop mysteries with a twist." -- Library Journal
"A swift, outstanding debut. Summit Lake engrossed me then knocked me cold. Charlie Donlea is a superb storyteller sure to damage the bestseller lists." --Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author
"With a soaring pace and teasing plot twists, Charlie Donlea's debut mystery is like a cool drink of water with a twist of lemon. It's refreshing to find a book that has such a well-developed plot and excellent writing to back it up." --BookPage
Author Notes
Charlie Donlea lives in Chicago with his wife and two young children. He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to "God's Country" inspired the setting for his novels. With so many choices of entertainment, and countless other books to choose from, he thanks you for spending your time and treasure on his creation. Readers can find him online at charliedonlea.com.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this fast-moving page-turner from Donlea (Summit Lake), fledgling forensic pathologist Livia Cutty is determined to find answers about the fate of her missing sister, Nicole, who vanished from a high school beach party in Emerson Bay, N.C., a year or so earlier, along with classmate Megan McDonald. Megan has become a media darling since her recent escape from the bunker where she was held. A body brought to Livia's Raleigh, N.C., morgue provides her first break. The badly decomposed corpse of a young man with puzzling injuries is identified as that of drifter Casey Delevan. When the news of the man's death goes public as part of a homicide investigation, Livia gets a call from a friend of Nicole's claiming a link between Casey and Nicole. Starting to investigate in earnest with the aid of emotionally fragile Megan, the sympathetic doctor stumbles across a disturbing secret side to her sister-and into very real danger. Donlea skillfully maximizes suspense by juggling narrators and time all the way to the shocking-albeit implausible-final twists. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In Donlea's second suspense thriller (following Summit Lake, 2016), Megan McDonald is in the middle of a media tour promoting the memoir that details her abduction the summer she graduated from high school. What no one wants to talk about is Nicole Cutty, a schoolmate who also went missing but was never found. Nicole's sister, Livia, is doing a forensic-pathology fellowship nearby and discovers the secret boyfriend her sister had when she disappeared. Desperate to learn more about that summer, Livia reaches out to Megan, and the two reopen old wounds in hope of finding a new lead. Donlea does a fine job of introducing several characters who have enough in common to be considered suspects, without ever tipping her hand. The reveal is a little over the top, but the chase is well worth the read.--Keefe, Karen Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Megan McDonald escaped from her abductor a year ago and is now on the road to recovery, but she's still plagued by thoughts of the girl who didn't get away, her sometimes-friend, Nicole Cutty. Nicole's forensic pathologist sister, Livia, is trying to come to terms with Nicole's disappearance, too. Livia realizes the odds of Nicole still being alive are slim, but she continues to pursue leads. The story goes from current-day investigation back to the days leading up to the beach party when both girls disappeared. Donlea writes a thoughtful story with a lot of medical jargon, leading the listener through details of autopsies and horrific scenes of death and decay, all while looking through Livia's eyes and conveying her respect for the dead and their families. Narrator Nina Alvamar delivers an amazing performance, believably toggling between male and female or young and old characters. VERDICT A great listen for fans of Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, or Patricia Cornwell. ["For fans of medical suspense and forensic thrillers": LJ 5/1/17 review of the Kensington hc.]-Laura Brosie, Wentzville, MO © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
