I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Flatiron Books to give away a collection of fantastic crime reads!
One lucky winner will receive a crime collection including: THE DRY by Jane Harper, IF WE WERE VILLAINS by M.L. Rio, BEHIND HER EYES by Sarah Pinborough, and TORNADO WEATHER by Deborah E. Kennedy! This giveaway is being held on my Instagram - follow the link below for complete giveaway rules, and to enter. The giveaway will run from 4/17/17 to 5/1/17, and is open to U.S. residents.
Enter the Giveaway on Instagram
In This Post, You'll Find:
- A Plot Summary for each book included in the Crime Collection
- An explanation of what intrigues me about each of these reads
- Amazon links in case you just can't wait to get your hands on a copy!
- PLUS: comment on this post for an extra giveaway entry - just tell me which book catches your eye most, and make sure to include your Instagram username so I can tally up your entries!
THE DRY by Jane Harper
After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. But now more than one person knows they didn’t tell the truth back then, and Luke is dead.
Amid the worst drought in a century, Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. As Falk reluctantly investigates to see if there’s more to Luke’s death than there seems to be, long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them. And Falk will find that small towns have always hidden big secrets.
Why I’m Intrigued: Reese Witherspoon has already snapped up film rights to this movie, which says it all! I’ve heard nothing but great things about THE DRY.
IF WE WERE VILLAINS by M.L. Rio
Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed.
On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.
Intelligent, thrilling, and richly detailed, If We Were Villains is a captivating story of the enduring power and passion of words.
Why I’m Intrigued: I rarely have the occasion to talk about it on Crime by the Book, but I’m a huge fan of Shakespeare. A murder mystery that involves actors studying Shakespeare sounds like such a unique blend.
BEHIND HER EYES by Sarah Pinborough
Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again, because Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.
David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.
In Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough has written a novel that takes the modern day love triangle and not only turns it on its head, but completely reinvents it in a way that will leave readers reeling.
Why I’m Intrigued: BEHIND HER EYES made a major splash upon its publication, with everyone talking about its totally mind-blowing ending. I’m curious to know what on earth that’s all about!
TORNADO WEATHER by Deborah E. Kennedy (On sale July 11, 2017)
Five-year-old Daisy Gonzalez’s father is always waiting for her at the bus stop. But today, he isn’t, and Daisy disappears.
When Daisy goes missing, nearly everyone in town suspects or knows something different about what happened. And they also know a lot about each other. The immigrants who work in the dairy farm know their employers’ secrets. The hairdresser knows everything except what’s happening in her own backyard. And the roadkill collector knows love and heartbreak more than anyone would ever expect. They are all connected, in ways small and profound, open and secret.
By turns unsettling, dark, and wry, Kennedy’s powerful voice brings the town’s rich fabric to life. Tornado Weather is an affecting portrait of a complex and flawed cast of characters striving to find fulfillment in their lives – and Kennedy brilliantly shows that there is nothing average about an average life.
Why I’m Intrigued: early readers of TORNADO WEATHER have compared Deborah Kennedy’s voice to that of Flannery O’Connor, which is high praise indeed. I can’t imagine a more compelling comparison.
