"GREETINGS. THERE IS A BODY BURIED ON YOUR PROPERTY, COVERED IN
YOUR BLOOD. THE UNFORTUNATE YOUNG LADY'S NAME IS RITA JONES. IN
HER JEANS POCKET YOU'LL FIND A SLIP OF PAPER WITH A PHONE NUMBER
ON IT. CALL THAT NUMBER. IF I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM YOU BY 8:00
P.M., THE WILL RECEIVE AN ANONYMOUS CALL. I'LL TELL THEM
WHERE RITA JONES IS BURIED ON YOUR PROPERTY, HOW YOU KILLED HER,
AND WHERE THE MURDER WEAPON CAN BE FOUND IN YOUR HOUSE. (I DO
BELIEVE A PARING IS MISSING FROM YOUR KITCHEN.) I STRONGLY
ADVISE AGAINST GOING TO THE , AS I AM ALWAYS WATCHING YOU."
Andrew Z. Thomas is a successful writer of suspense thrillers,
living the dream at his lake house in the piedmont of North
Carolina. One afternoon in late spring, he receives a bizarre
letter that eventually threatens his career, his sanity, and the
lives of everyone he loves. A murderer is designing his future,
and for the life of him, Andrew can't get away. About the Author:
BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville,
North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in
English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels
and numerous short stories. He lives with his family in southwest
Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. His website is
www.blakecrouch.com. PRAISE FOR DESERT PLACES...
Harrowing...terrific...a whacked out combination of Stephen King
and Cormac McCarthy. PAT CONROY Crouch's smart, tight prose
displays plenty of narrative energy...[he] shows real talent
here... PUBLISHERS WEEKLY An ingenious, diabolical debut that
calls into question all our easy moral assumptions. DESERT PLACES
is a genuine thriller that pulses with adrenaline from start to
finish. Blake Crouch is one of the most exciting new writers I've
read in years. VAL MCDERMID DESERT PLACES is about survival, both
emotional and physical. Crouch delivers his description of place
with telling and vivid prose...[and his] carefully crafted
characters make the story immediate, intense and thoroughly
believable...will linger in the [reader's] consciousness long
after the book is read. DENVER POST [T]he fastest, meanest read
I've had in quite a while. Crouch clamps on and propels you
forward, even though you're not at all sure you want to go into
the disturbing places where he's taking you. THE CAPITAL TIMES
Wow. Sometimes you stumble across a book that just plain creeps
you out. There are many types of DESERT PLACES, and the most
inhospitable are in the human heart. ROCKY AIN NEWS
[T]wisted...surprises around every turn...don't climb in if you
have a heart condition, high blood pressure, might be pregnant,
or are under four feet tall. IREDELL CITIZEN Crouch maintains a
roller-coaster pace, with twists that leave you blinking. THE
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER [Crouch's] writing is , and I mean that in
the very best way. If DESERT PLACES is any indication of what we
can expect from Crouch in the future, be prepared to see his name
on the bestseller lists. OTTAWA SUN This is a complex, cleverly
constructed novel of motive, and Crouch takes his time bringing
us through the story...it's a great debut. Crouch is an author to
watch. THE GLOBE AND MAIL (TORONTO) Two hundred and eighty pages
of pure, lean thriller...prose that's throat grabbing...Blake
Crouch is a major league talent who's going to be really, really
big. SARAH WEINMAN, Gumshoe-Award Winning Crime Columnist
[C]arried by rich, image-filled prose. Crouch will handcuff you,
blindfold you, throw you in the trunk of a car, and drag you
kicking and screaming through a story so intense, so emotionally
packed, that you will walk away stunned. WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL