Congratulations to Sulari Gentill, Poisoned Pen Press author. Her novel, Crossing the Lines, published in Australia by Pantera Press, and in the U.S. by Poisoned Pen Press, was just announced as this year’s Ned Kelly Award winner for Best Crime Novel.

Here’s what the Australian Crime Writers’ Association said.

Here’s the cover of Crossing the Lines as published by Poisoned Pen Press. You can order a copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DdMLE1

Check out the summary of Sulari Gentill’s award-winning novel, Crossing the Lines.

“As one for whom certain story lines and characters have become as real as life itself, Crossing the Lines was a pure delight, a swift yet psychologically complex read, cleverly conceived and brilliantly executed.” –Dean Koontz, New York Times Bestselling author

Sulari Gentill, author of the 1930s Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, jumps to the post-modern in Crossing the Lines.

A successful writer, Madeleine, creates a character, Edward, and begins to imagine his life. He, too, is an author. Edward is in love with a woman, Willow, who’s married to a man Edward loathes, and who loathes him, but he and Willow stay close friends. She’s an artist. As Madeleine develops the plot, Edward attends a gallery show where a scummy critic is flung down a flight of fire stairs…murdered. Madeleine, still stressed from her miscarriages and grieving her inability to have a child, grows more and more enamored of Edward, spending more and more time with him and the progress of the investigation and less with her physician husband, Hugh, who in turn may be developing secrets of his own.

As Madeline engages more with Edward, he begins to engage back. A crisis comes when Madeleine chooses the killer in Edward’s story and Hugh begins to question her immersion in her novel. Yet Crossing the Lines is not about collecting clues and solving crimes. Rather it’s about the process of creation, a gradual undermining of the authority of the author as the act of writing spirals away and merges with the story being told, a self-referring narrative crossing over boundaries leaving in question who to trust, and who and what is true.

For fans of Paul Auster, Jesse Kellerman, Vera Caspary’s Laura, Martin Amis, Haruki Murakami, Marisha Pessl

On Wednesday, August 29 at 7 PM, Hank Phillippi Ryan will be at The Poisoned Pen to discuss her just-released standalone, Trust Me. She’ll be joined that evening by Steve Hamilton who will sign Dead Man Running. Signed copies of both books, as well as other books by the authors, are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

If you miss Hank on Wednesday evening, you can always catch up with her next weekend. She’s participating in the mystery celebration as Poisoned Pen hosts Ian Rankin and others to celebrate his thirty years of publication in the United States.

It’s always fun to put this investigative reporter “In the Hot Seat”. Hank took time to answer questions about Trust Me, and a few other topics. Thank you, Hank. “Taking time from your busy schedule” sounds so trite, but if anyone has a busy schedule, it’s Hank Phillippi Ryan.

LESA: Hank, although you’ve “visited” the blog and the Poisoned Pen before, we still need an introduction. Tell us about yourself, please.

HANK: I lead a double life! By day I’m the investigative reporter for Channel 7 in Boston—and I’ve been a reporter for 40 years. (And have 34 Emmys to prove it. I just don’t know what happened those years…) I’ve worked as a legislative aide for a US senate Judiciary committee, and as a staffer at Rolling Stone magazine, editing a column called Capitol Chatter, and doing projects with Hunter S. Thompson and Richard Avedon. I’m married to a truly good guy, a criminal defense and civil rights attorney—he was one of Mohammed Ali’s lawyers in his Supreme Court case, and he does a lot of incredibly great work. But at age 55 (!) I got a terrific idea for a mystery. And I thought—yes. This is what I’ve always wanted to do! And that became PRIME TIME, which own the Agatha for best first mystery. And now, amazingly, TRUST ME is my tenth novel. And first standalone.

LESA: Tell us what you can about Mercer Hennessey.

HANK: Ah. Mercer Hennessey is a main character in TRUST ME. She’s a magazine writer, successful and smart, who quit a fancy magazine job to be a wife to her dear husband Dex and their precious daughter Sophie. But—so sad!–when Dex and Sophie were killed in a terrible accident, Mercer’s life collapses. As the book opens she is writing the number 442 in the steam fogging her bathroom mirror—the number of days since she lost her family. And she’s wondering if there’s a real reason ever get up in the morning again. We like her, very much, and we feel sorry for her. But…

LESA: I read Trust Me, so I know it’s a hard story to summarize without spoilers, and it’s even hard to introduce Mercer. Give us the elevator pitch, please, without spoilers.

HANK: Yeah. That’s what stopped me above. An obsessed journalist. A pony-tailed suburban mom. Two strong women facing off in a high-stakes cat and mouse game to prove their truth about a terrible murder—but which one is the cat, and which one is the mouse? Only one can prevail. I dare you to find the liar.

(And it’s been chosen as a Best Thriller by Real Simple Magazine, and PopSugar, and the New York Post, and BookBub, and Crimereads. So I’m pretty excited. A starred review from Booklist called it “a knockout.” )

You know, I sit in this little study every day by myself and write—so those raves are pretty lovely to hear. And yours ,too, Lesa! “Better than Gone Girl?” Whoa. I had a t-shirt made of that.

LESA: You’ve written two series, the Jane Ryland books and the Charlie McNally mysteries. Now, a standalone. What was difficult about writing a standalone after writing a series? Was there a freedom involved as well?

HANK: Oh, it’s amazing. Amazing. In my series—well, let’s put it this way. Jane Ryland, the man character of SAY NO MORE and the other Ryland thrillers, isn’t gonna die. Right? We know that, because she and Jake will be back in book six. So our suspense comes from participating in the dangerous investigation with her—and seeing how she can solve the crime and find the bad guy using her skills and intelligence. We know she’ll get in trouble—it’s a thriller after all. But she’s not gonna die. And that’s a challenge, right? Because the reader knows that.

But in a standalone? Whoa. Anyone could die. Anyone could be guilty. Anything could happen. It’s a full speed ahead crazy no-holds-barred adventure—because the reader has no idea how the story is going to turn out. Absolutely anything could happen. And, interestingly, I had no idea what the outcome would be!

Earlier I said I dare you to find the liar. That’s a real dare—because I’ll reveal to you, dear Lesa, that as I was writing, I had no idea who was telling the truth, or what the truth even was. So people say wow, the end of Trust Me, that really surprised me! And I say, I know, right? Talk about a surprise ending, I surprised myself. Truly? The reason I loved coming to my computer every day was that I could not wait to see what happened.

LESA: What’s next? What are you working on, or what have you recently finished?

Oh, wow. Yeah. Well, because you can always get me to reveal everything—I’m almost done, (truly editor Kristin, almost done) with my next psychological standalone, The Murder List. So we can talk about that next July! Ish.

LESA: What’s on your busy book schedule? What are you doing in conjunction with the Poisoned Pen’s Ian Rankin celebration? What are you doing at Bouchercon this year?

HANK: I’m hosting the Agatha Christie tea, can you believe it? And we’ll have an amazingly hilarious quiz, and I know Barbara Peters is going to try to get me to wear a fascinator. Don’t tell her, but I absolutely refuse. (Are you wearing one?) And trust me, I’ll be there for all the events. I mean—Ian Rankin! My hero. We were together at an event in Boston, and I billed it as Hank “˜n Rankin.

Bouchercon? You know, that’s SO exciting. Trust Me will have been out for about thirty seconds when Bouchercon time comes, so I’m so eager to share it with everyone. I’m hosting the Dolly Parton auction with the amazing Lisa Unger, and doing three panels—yikes!—one with you! SO looking forward to seeing everyone.

And then big book tour! My publisher Forge is incredible—I’m on the road for months. And treasuring every moment. I hope to see everyone—my schedule is at www.HankPhillippiRyan.com

LESA: Here’s a question I frequently ask authors, but I don’t think I’ve asked you. When visitors come, and you want to show off Boston, where do you take them?

HANK: Great question! The USS Constitution, for sure. It’s fascinating, and historic, and always kind of brings a tear to my eye. We go to Boston Common, where I keep thinking Sam Adams and Paul Revere and John and Abigail Adams walked. The swan boats in the gorgeous Public Garden. And the Old City Hall, where the founding fathers stood on the balcony, and first read the Declaration of Independence out loud to the colonists below. Then we get lobster rolls at The No-Name Seafood restaurant for lunch. Then the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum—with its empty frames signifying the massive and still-unsolved robbery—and then a stroll through Beacon Hill, with a visit to Spenser’s apartment. Finally , dinner somewhere, at one of Boston’s topnotch restaurants, or maybe, at my house. And then, a walk through the North End for espresso and cannoli. Are you up for it?

LESA: I’m ready, Hank! I love to visit new places. You’ve traveled quite a bit as a reporter, an author, and when you were President of Sisters in Crime. What city or country is still on your bucket list, and why?

HANK: Well, the US! Alaska, I’d really love to go! It seems so vast, and dangerous and beautiful and gorgeous. (It’s Kristin Hannah’s fault.) And the Amalfi Coast. And weirdly, I’ve never been to Venice. So, there.

LESA: I’ve never asked about your childhood reading. What books did you love as a child?

HANK: Aww. I read all the Edward Eager books, again and again. Magic or Not, and Half Magic, and Knight’s Castle, and still love them–they are truly still wonderful. The Mushroom Planet! Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton, my very very favorite. My parents lost me for an entire month as I devoted my life to reading all the Sherlock Holmes short stories and novellas. Agatha Christie—what a revelation! Brilliant. Life-changing. I was hooked. So I moved from that to the other Golden Age mysteries, Ngaio Marsh and Josephine Tey and Dorothy Sayers. Whoa. And I fell in love, forever love, with mysteries. As a teenager, though, I was a thriller reader—Seven Days in May, Fail Safe, Alas Babylon, The Manchurian Candidate, On the Beach. And I sneaked Marjorie Morningstar.

LESA: I’ll end with a question I can always ask, because book piles change. What’s on your current TBR pile?

HANK: Ah. I’m judging for a contest so I cannot tell you. Trust Me. But my TBR is a dangerous thing. Isn’t yours?

Hank’s right. My TBR pile is dangerous, and I hope you’re going to be adding Trust Me to your own To Be Read pile.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, winning 34 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. Nationally bestselling author of 10 mysteries, Ryan’s also an award-winner in her second profession—with five Agathas, two Anthonys, two Macavitys, the Daphne, and Mary Higgins Clark Award. Critics call her “a master of suspense.” Her novels are Library Journal’s Best of 2014, 2015 and 2016. Hank’s newest book is the acclaimed standalone psychological suspense thriller TRUST ME (August 28, 2018) “’ the Booklist starred review says “It’s a knockout.” It’s named one of the Best Thrillers of Summer 2018 by New York Post, BOOK BUB, PopSugar, CrimeReads and Real Simple Magazine.

TRUST ME

An obsessed journalist. A suburban mom.  Two strong women face off and a high-stakes cat and mouse game to prove their truth about a terrible crime. But which one is the cat, and which one is the mouse?  Only one can prevail. We dare you to find the liar.

Have you heard all the talk about Christina Dalcher’s debut novel, Vox? It’s available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Nl41g8

Here’s the summary of Vox.

“[An] electrifying debut.”–O, Oprah Magazine
“The real-life parallels will make you shiver.”–Cosmopolitan

Set in a United States in which half the population has been silenced, Vox is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can’t happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning…

Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard.

…not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

*****

You actually have two opportunities to hear Christina Dalcher’s voice, thanks to Penguin Random House. She’s talking in one video about what she’s reading. In the other, she presents this week’s Seven Sentence Story called “The Burden of Proof”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CikEZIGNRHs&w=560&h=315]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l44dbZ68o3c&w=560&h=315]

Reavis Wortham’s seventh Red River mystery, Gold Dust, will be released on September 4th. You can order a signed copy now through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2MJBWlj

If you’re signed up for the Poisoned Pen Conference/Rebusfest, scheduled for Sept. 2 and 3, you can meet Wortham there. https://bit.ly/2w7Lc9l

Mike Barson recently interviewed Reavis Wortham for Crimespree Magazine. Check out the interview here. https://bit.ly/2P3nlPp

Interested? Here’s the summary of Gold Dust.

As the 1960s draw to a close, the rural northeast Texas community of Center Springs is visited by two nondescript government men in dark suits and shades. They say their assignment is to test weather currents and patterns, but that’s a lie. Their delivery of a mysterious microscopic payload called Gold Dust from a hired crop duster coincides with fourteen-year-old Pepper Parker’s discovery of an ancient gold coin in her dad’s possession. Her adolescent trick played on a greedy adult results in the only gold rush in north Texas history. Add in modern-day cattle-rustlers and murderers, and Center Springs is once again the bull’s-eye in a deadly target.

The biological agent deemed benign by the CIA has unexpected repercussions, putting Pepper’s near-twin cousin, Top, at death’s door. The boy’s crisis sends their grandfather, Constable Ned Parker, to Washington D.C. to exact personal justice, joined by a man Ned left behind in Mexico and had presumed dead. The CIA agents who operate on the dark side of the U.S. government find they’re no match for men who know they’re right and won’t stop. Especially two old country boys raised on shotguns.

But there’s more. Lots more. Top Parker thought only he had what had become known as a Poisoned Gift, but Ned suffers his own form of a family curse he must deploy. Plus, there are many trails to follow as the lawmen desperately work to put an end to murder and government experimentation that extends from their tiny Texas town to Austin and, ultimately, to Washington, D.C. Traitors, cattle-rustlers, murderers, rural crime families, grave robbers, CIA turncoats, and gold-hungry prospectors pursue agendas that all, in a sense, revolve around the center of this small vortex called Center Springs.

Gold Dust seems to be fiction, but the truth is, it has already happened.

Patrick Millikin, Customer Service Manager at the Poisoned Pen, is the perfect one to write about George Pelecanos and his latest book, The Man Who Came Uptown. Patrick is the staff noir expert, as well as the editor of Phoenix Noir and The Highway Kind. Millikin’s latest article for Publishers Weekly is “George Pelecanos Knows Why Inmates Need Books.” The article can be found here. https://bit.ly/2ByckDy

Millikin’s article is timed just before the September 4 release of Pelecanos’ new book, The Man Who Came Uptown. The book will be the Poisoned Pen’s October Modern First Clubs Pick, however you can preorder a signed copy of that book, or copies of Pelecanos’ other ones through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BKcQie

Here’s the summary of The Man Who Came Uptown.

In bestselling and Emmy-nominated writer George Pelecanos’ “taut and suspenseful” new novel, an ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path (Booklist, Starred Review)

Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison’s librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael’s trial.

The current Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen is T. Greenwood’s Rust & Stardust. It’s based on the true crime story that inspired Nabokov’s Lolita. You can order a signed copy of Rust & Stardust through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2MpIRkd

Here’s the summary of Rust & Stardust.

“Greenwood’s glowing dark ruby of a novel brilliantly transforms the true crime story that inspired Nabokov’s Lolita. Shatteringly original and eloquently written….So ferociously suspenseful, I found myself holding my breath.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You

Camden, NJ, 1948. When 11 year-old Sally Horner steals a notebook from the local Woolworth’s, she has no way of knowing that 52 year-old Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison, is watching her, preparing to make his move. Accosting her outside the store, Frank convinces Sally that he’s an FBI agent who can have her arrested in a minute—unless she does as he says.

This chilling novel traces the next two harrowing years as Frank mentally and physically assaults Sally while the two of them travel westward from Camden to San Jose, forever altering not only her life, but the lives of her family, friends, and those she meets along the way.

Based on the experiences of real-life kidnapping victim Sally Horner and her captor, whose story shocked the nation and inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write his controversial and iconic Lolita, this heart-pounding story by award-winning author T. Greenwood at last gives a voice to Sally herself.

The Hugo Awards are awards for excellence in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. The winners were announced this past weekend. Congratulations to all of the winners, but especially to N.K. Jemisin whose win for Best Novel for The Stone Sky was one of the biggest wins in Hugo Award history. She is the fifth author to have ever received three or more Hugos for Best Novel, and the only author to win that award for three consecutive years. You can find Jemisin’s books in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2MszeBB

You can also watch Jemisin’s acceptance speech on YouTube.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFybhRxoVM&w=560&h=315]

Here is the list of the Hugo Award winners for works from 2017.

Best Novel

The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)

Best Novella

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Tor.com publishing)

Best Novelette

“The Secret Life of Bots,” by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)

Best Short Story

“Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experienceâ„¢,” by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex Magazine, August 2017)

Best Series

World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Harper Voyager/Spectrum Literary Agency)

Best Related Work

No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Best Graphic Story

Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood, written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

Wonder Woman, screenplay by Allan Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, directed by Patty Jenkins (Warner Brothers)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

The Good Place: “The Trolley Problem,” written by Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan, directed by Dean Holland (NBC)

Best Editor, Short Form

Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

Best Editor, Long Form

Sheila E. Gilbert

Best Professional Artist

Sana Takeda

Best Semiprozine

Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, and Julia Rios; podcast produced by Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine

File 770, edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fancast

Ditch Diggers, presented by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace

Best Fan Writer

Sarah Gailey

Best Fan Artist

Geneva Benton

Award for Best Young Adult Book

Akata Warrior, by Nnedi Okorafor (Viking Books)

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Rebecca Roanhorse

Did you miss the recent event at the Poisoned Pen when Lisa Scottoline appeared on book tour for Feared? She and Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, discussed Scottoline’s characters, Rosato and DiNunzio. It’s always a fun event when Lisa Scottoline is in the house. Now you can watch it on YouTube.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yahXGwRCr_w&w=560&h=315]

You can order a signed copy of Feared, or copies of Lisa Scottoline’s other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BttT7W

Here’s the summary of Feared.

In the new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Mary DiNunzio’s ruthless nemesis Nick Machiavelli is back…with a vengeance.

When three men announce that they are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination—claiming that they were not hired because they were men—Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato are outraged. To make matters worse, their one male employee, John Foxman, intends to resign, claiming that there is some truth to this case.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer is Nick Machiavelli, who has already lost to Mary once and is now back with a vengeance —determined not to not only win, but destroy the firm. It soon becomes clear that Machiavelli will do anything in his power to achieve his end…even after the case turns deadly. The stakes have never been higher for Mary and her associates as they try to keep Machiavelli at bay, solve a murder, and save the law firm they love…or they could lose everything they’ve worked for. Told with Scottoline’s trademark gift for twists, turns, heart, and humanity, this latest thriller asks the question: Is it better to be loved, or feared…

Feared, the sixth entry in the acclaimed Rosato & DiNunzio series, expertly explores what happens when we are tempted to give in to our own inner darkness.

Praise for the Rosato & DiNunzio series:

“Hit every mark… down to the last satisfying twist” —Kirkus Review on Feared

“Fast paced, heart-tugging…readers will enjoy seeing how it all plays out.” —Publishers Weekly on Exposed

“The final curtain will find you cheering, and Scottoline will have earned every hurrah.” —Kirkus (starred review) on Exposed

“[The Rosato and DiNunzio stories] are always her best works and this newest is the best of the best in this series.” —Huffington Post on Exposed

The Poisoned Pen is hosting William Kent Krueger, author of Desolation Mountain, and T. Jefferson Parker, author of Swift Vengeance, on Monday, August 20 at 7 PM. And, Krueger is sneaking in that signing of his seventeenth Cork O’Connor novel at the Pen the day before his official launch party in Minneapolis. If you can’t make it to the signing, you can order a signed copy of Desolation Mountain, or copies of Krueger’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2vU0uyB

Here’s the summary of Desolation Mountain.

New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger delivers yet another “punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction” (Booklist, starred review) as Cork O’Connor and his son Stephen work together to uncover the truth behind the tragic plane crash of a senator on Desolation Mountain and the mysterious disappearances of several first responders. This is a heart-pounding and devastating mystery the scope and consequences of which go far beyond what father or son could ever have imagined.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

To Stephen O’Connor, Hamlet’s dour observation is more than just words. All his life, he has had visions of tragedies to come. When he experiences the vision of a great bird shot from the sky, he knows something terrible is about to happen. The crash of a private plane on Desolation Mountain in a remote part of the Iron Lake Reservation, which kills a United States senator and most of her family, confirms Stephen’s worst fears.

Stephen joins his father, Cork O’Connor and a few Ojibwe men from the nearby Iron Lake reservation to sift through the smoldering wreckage when the FBI arrives and quickly assumes control of the situation. What seems like the end of the O’Connors’ involvement is, however, only the beginning of a harrowing journey to understand the truth behind the Senator’s death. As he initiates his own probe, Cork O’Connor stumbles upon a familiar face in Bo Thorson, a private security consultant whose unnamed clients have hired him to look quietly into the cause of the crash. The men agree to join forces in their investigation, but soon Cork begins to wonder if Thorson’s loyalties lie elsewhere.

In that far north Minnesota County, which is overrun with agents of the FBI, NTSB, DoD, and even members of a rightwing militia, all of whom have their own agendas, Cork, Stephen, and Bo attempt to navigate a perilous course. Roadblocked by lies from the highest levels of government, uncertain who to trust, and facing growing threats the deeper they dig for answers, the three men finally understand that to get to the truth, they will have to face the great menace, a beast of true evil lurking in the woods—a beast with a murderous intent of unimaginable scale.

*****

In the Star Tribune, Ginny Greene wrote a review you might want to read, but only if you’re caught up with William Kent Krueger’s novels. There are a few spoilers for readers who might not be current with the Cork O’Connor series. strib.mn/2N0Yafw

David Joy, author of The Line That Held Us, will appear at the Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, August 22, in conversation with J. Todd Scott. Joy’s books, including signed copies of some of them, are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BhRPLk

If you would like to find out a little more about Joy and his writing, The Real Book Spy asked him five questions recently. https://bit.ly/2vUKtIw

Of course, you’ll want to come to the Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, if you can, to hear what Scott will ask him.

The Line That Held Us is summarized here.

From critically acclaimed author David Joy comes a remarkable novel about the cover-up of an accidental death, and the dark consequences that reverberate through the lives of four people who will never be the same again.

When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck he’s chased for years, he never expected he’d accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he’s killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer, his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But when Dwayne Brewer comes looking for his missing brother and stumbles onto a blood trail leading straight back to Darl and Calvin, a nightmare of revenge rips apart their world. The Line That Held Us is a story of friendship and family, a tale balanced between destruction and redemption, where the only hope is to hold on tight, clenching to those you love. What will you do for the people who mean the most, and what will you grasp to when all that you have is gone? The only certainty in a place so shredded is that no one will get away unscathed.