A searing, psychological suspense novel about small-town dreams shattered by a deadly secret.” — Terry Shames, Macavity Award-winning author of A Killing at Cotton Hill
“An unusual protagonist, a timely crime, and outstanding writing make Lori Rader-Day’s The Black Hour a stand-out debut.” — Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author
“Secrets lie behind every loop, slant, and swirl of The Day I Died, Lori Rader-Day’s compelling story of a handwriting analyst searching for a lost boy. Richly written, complex, and imaginative…this is a perfect read for fans of Mary Higgins Clark.” — Susanna Calkins, Macavity Award-winning author of the Lucy Campion mysteries
“Lori Rader-Day is so ferociously talented that it kind of makes me mad. Not fair! The Day I Died is a terrific novel—gripping and twisty and beautifully layered. It kept me locked up and locked in from the very first word to the very last.” — Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone
“Mary Higgins Clark Award winner Rader-Day’s (Little Pretty Things) third novel will thrill readers who can’t get enough of the psychological suspense genre.” — Library Journal
“Beautiful prose and tack-sharp observations round out this slow-burning but thought-provoking meditation on the ravages of domestic violence.” — Publishers Weekly on THE DAY I DIED
“[T]he story is compelling, the characters interesting, and the theme of a mother’s love universal.” — Mystery Scene
[T]he story is compelling, the characters interesting, and the theme of a mother’s love universal.
An unusual protagonist, a timely crime, and outstanding writing make Lori Rader-Day’s The Black Hour a stand-out debut.
Lori Rader-Day is so ferociously talented that it kind of makes me mad. Not fair! The Day I Died is a terrific novel—gripping and twisty and beautifully layered. It kept me locked up and locked in from the very first word to the very last.
A searing, psychological suspense novel about small-town dreams shattered by a deadly secret.
Secrets lie behind every loop, slant, and swirl of The Day I Died, Lori Rader-Day’s compelling story of a handwriting analyst searching for a lost boy. Richly written, complex, and imaginative…this is a perfect read for fans of Mary Higgins Clark.
2017-01-23
A handwriting analyst is forced to face her own traumatic past in Rader-Day's (Little Pretty Things, 2015, etc.) latest.Anna Winger never stays in one place for too long. Ever since she fled her violent boyfriend in order to raise her son in safety, she's become an expert at avoiding intimacy and staying off the grid. Ironically, she lives her life by drawing conclusions about others based solely on their handwriting while distancing herself from human relationships. Working as a consultant for federal and local law enforcement, Anna gets drawn into the drama when she's referred to the sheriff of Parks, Indiana, to help with a missing child case. On top of this mystery and a reluctant attraction to the sheriff, she's dealing with her 13-year-old son, Joshua, who's begun to act out and hang around with a bad crowd responsible for painting angry graffiti around town. When Joshua disappears, Anna has to return to her hometown to face the ghosts of her past and the person she used to be before she staged her own disappearance. In a rather too convenient twist, the answer to the mystery of the missing boy also lies in Anna's hometown. Though the novel builds a deeply human story of fear, error, and redemption, it's incredibly slow to get there. Anna's paranoia and loneliness, while understandable, keep her isolated from the reader as well; it takes a long time to get invested in her voice because she's so stingy with the details in the beginning. By the end, however, Anna's story carries much more weight than the problem of the missing boy. This finely layered novel succeeds more as a human-interest story than as a mystery.
Anna Winger, consultant to the FBI and various police departments, can identify people’s personality traits and even their secrets from their handwriting. Hillary Huber narrates this story of lies that hide emotional and domestic abuse. Huber captures the personalities of the diverse characters, who are full of grit and determination, especially the women. Anna is haunted by her past, and by memories best kept hidden from everyone. When her son, Joshua, runs away, Anna follows the clues to her hometown, as does Sheriff Russ Keller. Huber portrays Anna in tones full of emotion and insecurity. Huber’s smoky voice is perfect for this carefully unfolding psychological thriller. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
