Intricately interweaving the past and present, Karen Katchur ramps up the tension and hits every mark with Cold Woods, the second installment in her compelling Northampton County series. Once again, Katchur has crafted an intense psychological thriller that pounds with heart-thrumming suspense and unexpected twists. With its intriguing characters and clever plot, Cold Woods will keep readers frantically flipping pages late into the night.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound
“Karen Katchur nails it with Cold Woods, the second in the Northampton County series and a perfect follow-up to her bestselling hit, River Bodies. Katchur starts Cold Woods with a bang, then builds the action steadily, a gradual unfolding of truths and small-town secrets among three former best friends. Dark and chilling, creepy and emotionally complex—and enthralling all the way to the shocking end.” —Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of The Marriage Lie and Three Days Missing
“Cold Woods kept me in its chilling grip from its eerie opening lines to its unexpected finish. I’m entranced by Karen Katchur’s direct, well-crafted prose, artful plotting, and characters that leap from the page. She perfectly captures the strange insularity of a small town, and unravels its secrets with an expert hand. Not to be missed!” —Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of Things to Do When It’s Raining
Praise for River Bodies
“Karen Katchur’s River Bodies has it all: a horrific murder, mysteries resurrected from the past, a story line packed with tension, and vivid characters to bring it all to life. A riveting thriller that suspense readers will love.” —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl
“With a striking sense of place and a foreboding feeling of unease throughout, I was glued to the story. With relationships so complicated and layered that they feel like your own and plot twists that will leave you gasping, River Bodies is an unforgettable read.” —Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author
“Karen Katchur is a master at writing into the dark spaces of our intimate family relationships, and River Bodies is her most stunning work to date.” —Mindy Mejia, author of Everything You Want Me to Be
“River Bodies weaves an engrossing mystery with richly developed characters for an enjoyable, fast-paced read.” —Laura McHugh, award-winning author of The Weight of Blood
“Dark secrets of the past flow into the present in this emotionally resonant, deeply insightful tale of family bonds, betrayal, violence, and redemption. Part engrossing love story, part riveting murder mystery, River Bodies is a must read.” —A. J. Banner, USA Today bestselling author of The Twilight Wife
“Karen Katchur weaves together a twisting braid in River Bodies, a multigenerational tale that dares us to examine not only the secrets we hide but the reasons we hid them in the first place.” —Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author
“River Bodies is a dark, fast-paced, and gripping suspense with characters you won’t forget. It’s filled with old family secrets designed to protect but that instead pull everyone apart. A must read!” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, author of The Neighbors
2019-05-27
When the remains of Lester Haines are found 30 years after his disappearance, his bones won't be the only things uncovered in a small Pennsylvania town.
Trisha didn't like her stepfather, Lester, and neither did her friends Carlyn and Dannie. Even as 10-year-olds, the friends felt that Lester was creepy; did Trisha have much more of a reason to think that of Lester? However, after Lester disappeared, the girls grew apart, and Trisha moved to Las Vegas. There, she got involved with a very rich and very abusive man. The only thing bringing her back to this small town is the death of Dannie's mother, but when Lester's bones are found and identified, many secrets are about to be unburied, too. The author (River Bodies, 2018, etc.) checks off all the boxes in creating the various characters—loneliness, abuse, self-doubt, rejection—but readers may find themselves skimming as each thought or emotion is analyzed for just a little too long. She also ascribes very adult perceptions to children: Does it make sense to say of a 10-year-old, "But the longer she stared, the more she began to see something else in Trisha, a kind of vulnerability hidden beneath her tough exterior, something she carried deep inside her"? The parallel storyline about the life of the man investigating the mystery adds little spark.
At the end, readers may feel that justice has been served but that their time could have been better spent.