The Distant Dead
by Heather Young
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date 22 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 28 May 2021
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Description
A body burns in the high desert hills. A boy walks into a fire station, pale with the shock of a grisly discovery. A middle school teacher worries when her colleague is late for work. When the body is identified as local math teacher Adam Merkel, a small Nevada town is rocked to its core by a brutal and calculated murder.
In the seven months he worked at Lovelock’s middle school, the quiet and seemingly unremarkable Adam Merkel had formed a bond with just one of his students: Sal Prentiss, a lonely sixth grader who lives with his uncles on a desolate ranch in the hills. It is Sal who finds Adam’s body, charred almost beyond recognition, half a mile from his uncles’ compound.
Nora Wheaton, the school’s social studies teacher, sensed a kindred spirit in Adam – another soul bound to Lovelock by guilt and duty. After his death, she delves into his past for clues to who killed him. Yet, the truth about Adam’s murder may lie closer to home. For Sal’s grief seems shaded with fear, and Nora suspects he knows more than he’s telling about his favourite teacher’s death.
This unforgettable thriller brings a small American town to vivid life, filled with complex, troubled characters wrestling with the weight of the past, the promise of the future and the bitter freedom that forgiveness can bring.
Advance Praise
Stunning... an ideal recommendation for fans of Kate Atkinson and Jodi Picoult' - Booklist (starred review)
'Powerful and poignant' - People (Best Books, Summer 2020)
'A searing, powerful story' - CrimeReads (Most Anticipated Books, Summer 2020)
'The suspense is slow and steady in this meditative, artistic take on the murder mystery... An unusual, compelling portrait of a people and a place where the future always seems impossibly far away' - Bookpage (starred review)
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780857308146 |
| PRICE | £9.99 (GBP) |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Gordon J, Media/Journalist
A well written story of how two boys are linked over the years by accidents of different kinds, one boy becoming a god in the eyes of his people the other with the potential to act like god. An intriguing story of love and hate but love can turn to hate at any time.
The_Secret_Bookreview ., Reviewer
A body burns in the high desert hills. A boy walks into a fire station, pale with the shock of a grisly discovery. A middle school teacher worries when her colleague is late for work. By day’s end, when the body is identified as local math teacher Adam Merkel, a small Nevada town will be rocked to its core by a brutal and calculated murder.
This book is definitely one that is more than meets the eye. At first, you think it is a normal thriller/murder mystery, but as the book progresses and character development delves deep, it is so much more than the genre. It is a slow burner, do not think that this book is a quick, straight to the point book because it is not.- it is worth sticking with though!
This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.
3.5/5.
Book B, Reviewer
A great and sad thriller on the thin line between love and hate. Over the years, two boys are linked by a series of accidents and events with each boy being treated very differently from the other. I was horrified to find out that the body burning in the desert was inspired by a documentary the author watched! Very remote and scary place in mid town America but the dynamics of those living there makes this a mighty fine read.
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