Out of the Ashes: A Novel

by Kara Thomas

Overview

A woman’s investigation into her family’s murders uncovers lies, secrets, and dangerous truths in a heart-wrenching novel of suspense.

When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.

Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.

It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662509537
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2023
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	337,750
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kara Thomas is a part-time librarian and an unsolved-mystery enthusiast who dreams of one day solving a cold case. She lives on Long Island with her husband, son, and rescue cat. She is the author of That Weekend, The Cheerleaders, Little Monsters, and The Darkest Corners. For more information, visit www.kara-thomas.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/20/2023

This elegant suspense yarn from YA author Thomas (That Weekend) dodges expectations at every turn. Twenty-two years before the novel begins, when Samantha Newsom—now a prickly nurse at an ICU in Queens—was 13, her family home in Carney, N.Y., burned down while she was at a friend’s house. The bodies of her father, mother, and baby sister were never recovered from the ruins, and though their deaths were assumed murders, no arrests were ever made. As an adult, Samantha returns to Carney to clear out the home of her recently deceased uncle and is approached by a special investigator for the New York State Police. A potential witness in her family’s case has come forward, claiming he saw a man leave the scene of the fire with an infant in his arms. Is he telling the truth? Could her sister be alive? The investigation reopens—as do Samantha’s wounds—and Samantha embarks on her own inquiry into what happened that night. Samantha is a fascinating, difficult character, and the enthralling plot delivers a steady stream of surprises. Thomas’s first foray into adult fiction is a thrilling success. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Kara Thomas

Out of the Ashes

“This elegant suspense yarn from YA author Thomas dodges expectations at every turn…and the enthralling plot delivers a steady stream of surprises. Thomas’s first foray into adult fiction is a thrilling success.” —Publishers Weekly

“This story simply engulfed me. I didn’t trust a single seedy character that Samantha Newsom came in contact with while on her quest to unearth, after twenty-two years, who was responsible for murdering her entire family and setting their Catskills farmhouse aflame. Out of the Ashes is gritty, raw, and chock-full of tension as suffocating as the tiny town of Carney itself.” —Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark

“A masterful, smart, slow-burning suspense. Out of the Ashes drew me in with its sinister secrets and wouldn’t let me go until the very last page.” —Elle Cosimano, USA Today bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“Bold, unpredictable, and savagely beautiful, Out of the Ashes is that rare read that combines breakneck twists and turns with deeply woven themes of family, memory, and justice. You’ll read this with your heart in your throat, desperate to know what happened that night—but afraid at how ugly the truth might be. A searing, shocking powerhouse of a debut.” —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

That Weekend

“Kara Thomas is ruthless. When you descend into That Weekend, prepare for darkness ahead, breakneck turns, and shivery secrets. I am still reeling.” —Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos

“Deliciously twisted. Clear your schedule, because That Weekend is going to keep you up all night.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

“A deliciously unsettling and grimly beautiful examination of the dark and twisted potential lurking within us all. That Weekend is a bold and expertly plotted page-turner from beginning to end, and it firmly cements Kara Thomas as a master of the craft—no one writes a thriller like her.” —Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie

“Kara Thomas deftly weaves a web of secrets, tangling you in a mystery so shocking you’ll never guess the ending. My jaw actually dropped.” —Erin Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

“A riveting, unputdownable thriller that made my palms sweat and my heart pound. I devoured this book in a single sleepless night; That Weekend is a brutal examination of what it means to survive.” —Victoria Lee, author of A Lesson in Vengeance and The Fever King

“A mesmerizing, creepy, excellent thrill ride of a book.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

The Cheerleaders

“Sharp, brilliantly plotted, and totally engrossing.” —Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

“A crafty, dark, and disturbing story.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars.” —Riley Sager, bestselling author of Final Girls

Little Monsters

“A disturbing portrait of how bad news and gossip can curdle when mixed together.” —Oprah.com

“An eerie and masterly psychological thriller…[that] culminates in a shocking and disturbing ending. Thomas expertly captures the pointed nuances and the fickle, manipulative bonds of adolescent girls’ friendships.” —School Library Journal

“Taut and suspenseful…this gritty page-turner will easily hook a broad range of readers.” —Booklist

“An intense psychological thriller that all but ensures the lights will be left on between dusk and dawn.” —Publishers Weekly

The Darkest Corners

“Gripping from start to finish, The Darkest Corners took me into an underbelly I didn’t know existed, with twists that left me shocked and racing forward to get to the end.” —Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen

From the Publisher