Desert Places

One tranquil May evening in North Carolina, semi-famous novelist Andrew Thomas strolls down his long gravel drive to check his mailbox. Inside is a note: "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. You have one day to cal that number. If I have not heard from you by 8pm tomorrow, the police department will receive an anonymous phone call. I'll tell them where Rita Jones is buried, how you killed her, and where the murder weapon can be found. (I do believe a paring knife is missing from your kitchen.)". Andrew Thomas thinks this message is just a mischievous prank. He's wrong - very, very wrong. And soon he's going to be very, very scared.

About the Author :
Blake Crouch is a recent Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives with his wife in Durango, Colorado, where he is at work on the sequel to "Desert Places."


Review :
"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, author of "The Last Temptation"
"Blake Crouch's terrific but harrowing first novel, "Desert Places," is deeply disturbing and troubling but hard to put down. In the end, Mr. Crouch's book reminded me of a whacked out combination of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy."
- Pat Conroy, author of "My Losing Season"
"A harrowing, compulsively readable novel, "Desert Places" throws a spotlight on humans' ability to administer--and withstand--psychological and physical pain. Crouch's taunt, muscular prose and expert plotting make this one tough to set down. You'll read it in a sitting--I certainly did."
- Gregg Hurwitz, author of "The Kill Clause"
"Gritty, sometimes gruesome, and always gripping. Blake Crouch looks into the dark places inside our heads - you may not always like what you see there, but you won't be able to tear yourself away. An exciting, heartpounding debut."
- Tony Strong, author of "The Death Pit"
"Crouch shows real talent"
- "Publishers Weekly"
""Desert Places" displays the careful craftsmanship of a talented newcomer to the mystery genre. The interplay between the protagonist and the villain is crisp and clever, and the plot development is relentless. Can't wait for the sequel!"
- "Bookpage"
"A disturbing tale . . . not for the easily frightened or those with weak stomachs. Crouch writes vivid and horrific scens that will linger in the consciousness long after the book is read. [His] carefully crafted characters make the story immediate, intense and thoroughly believable."
- "Denver Post"
"Blake Crouch has every intention of putting the screaming oogies in your nightmares. . . . He takes you on a twisting ride that containsr