Crouch Blake

Letty Dobesh is coming off a bender and hasn't had a job in months when she gets a very enticing offer. John Fitch, the ultrawealthy CEO of a major energy company, has recently been convicted of securities fraud. In four days he must report to a federal prison, where he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life. Fitch wants a female companion for his last night of freedom. But Letty is no high-­priced call girl, and this gig isn't about sex. The plan is to steal an original Van Gogh from Fitch's island retreat. A petty thief by trade, Letty has never had a shot at this kind of payout. It's certainly dangerous, but the money will set her up for life and allow her to regain custody of her young son. Besides, it's stealing from a very bad guy. If all goes well, she'll be on Easy Street...­but in Letty's life, all seldom goes well.

A blockbuster box set of five thrilling novels from five best-­selling writers, for less than the price of a single Patterson, King, or Grisham novel. ULTIMATE THRILLER BOX SET 5 irresistible set-­ups: A crime novelist imprisoned in a desert cabin by a villain more sinister than any he has ever written... A detective's race against the clock to find a missing teenager... Twin brothers caught up in a deadly game to settle sins of the past... A lowly security guard struggling to realize his private eye fantasies... The US government conducting secret testing on the most heinous and intriguing of all subjects - Satan himself... This box set is called the Ultimate Thriller Box Set because...­well...­it is. Five Top 20 bestselling Kindle writers - J.­A. Konrath, Blake Crouch, J. Carson Black, Lee Goldberg, and Scott Nicholson - were asked to choose their favorite novel to include in a groundbreaking box set, which is bursting with chills, thrills, laughs, scares, and hours of page-­turning, thrill-­a-­minute reading pleasure. If thrillers are your passion, this is a must-­have for your Kindle Library. CONTENTS: Origin by J.­A. KonrathDesert Places by Blake CrouchDarkness on the Edge of Town by J. Carson BlackWatch Me Die by Lee GoldbergDisintegration by Scott Nicholson Together, these novels have accrued over 250 5-­star reviews and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. We hope you enjoy!

Before the events of Blake Crouch’s horror novels DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS... Before the events of Jack Kilborn's and Blake Crouch's #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller SERIAL... The year is 1995, and a young girl with psychopathic tendencies named Lucy (the sweetheart from SERIAL) has run away from home to a mystery convention to see her favorite author in the world: Andrew Z. Thomas. But Lucy has problems, and not just the psychopathic kind…to start with, the hotel won’t rent a room to a 15-­year-­old girl. So she does a bad, bad thing, which only gets worse when a couple of horrifying killers, Orson Thomas, and his protege, Luther Kite, catch her trying to cover up a nasty mess. BAD GIRL is a thriller novella that brings all of Crouch’s most terrifying villains to the same hotel. A prequel to SERIAL, which has been downloaded more than 200,­000 times, BAD GIRL is not for the faint of heart. Let the reader beware. BAD GIRL also contains a bonus interview with Blake, plus excerpts from all four of his novels. *Note: BAD GIRL is fully contained in SERIAL UNCUT. BAD GIRL + TRUCK STOP + SERIAL = SERIAL UNCUT.

From the Foreword by J.­A. Konrath: "Crouch is one of the best thriller short story writers I know. He uses words like an artist uses a paintbrush; to hurt, to stun, to shock, to provoke, to touch. This collection also features my very favorite short story of all time. Not just my favorite by Crouch, but the best one I've ever read by anyone. It's called "Unconditional.­" It is flat-­out brilliant and unforgettable, and that one tale is worth the price of this entire collection.­" From the author of DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS comes this complete collection of short stories and novellas. *69 - Tim and Laura West receive a bizarre voicemail on their answering machine that seems to have unintentionally recorded a brutal murder. But what happens when the killer realizes their mistake? This story develops over one terrifying evening, and this young couple will never be the same. REMAKING - Tragic events unfold in a snowy, sleepy Colorado town. From the first scene, in which a man sits alone in the cold, watching a father and son in a diner, you know something is about to go horribly wrong. You may think you know what's happening, but in this thrilling, heartbreaking story, nothing is as it seems. ON THE GOOD, RED ROAD - A group of four hard men trying to reach a remote 19th Century mining town become stranded in an early blizzard and resort to drastic, terrifying measures, to stay alive. SHINING ROCK - An older couple encounter a strange and menacing visitor during a camping trip in the North Carolina mountains. Friendly at first, this stranger seems to know them, seems to know their secrets, and as things escalate, they become convinced that they may never leave these mountains alive. PERFECT LITTLE TOWN - Ron and Jessica Stahl are a power couple from California, on a Christmas holiday in Colorado. When they stop for the afternoon in sleepy Lone Cone, they're charmed by the quaint tourist town. But the folksy hospitality will vanish as the sun drops behind the mountains. The Stahls couldn't have picked a worse night of the year to get snowed into this perfect little town with a dark, dark secret. SERIAL - The classic horror short I wrote with J.­A. Konrath, in which we turn our attention to the twin golden rules of hitchhiking: # 1: Don't go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy. # 2: Don't pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be a raving nutcase. So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Nutcase #2? THE NEWTON BOYS' LAST PHOTOGRAPH - At 25 words, the shortest story I ever wrote. But it packs a wallop. THE METEOROLOGIST - Peter, a disgraced meteorologist and chronic wanderer, has traveled the country for years in his Winnebago, in search of the only thing that gives his life meaning. He's just arrived in the middle of nowhere-­Hokie, Kansas-­for the same purpose, but when he meets a waitress named Melanie, another sufferer, he's faced not only with his first real human contact in years, but perhaps someone who can save him. UNCONDITIONAL - A conversation between two people-­devastating, tragic, and beautiful. THE PAIN OF OTHERS - Letty Dobesh, a gorgeous, degenerate thief, is fresh out of the clink and back to her old tricks-­in this case, burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. But when she's surprised by returning guests on her last room of the day, she's forced to hide in the closet to avoid getting caught, and inadvertently overhears a hitman being contracted to murder the wife of a wealthy lawyer. This 60,­000-­word short story collection also contains a foreword by J.­A. Konrath and introductions to each story by the author. BLAKE CROUCH is the author of four novels and numerous short stories, including "Serial" which he co-­wrote with J.­A. Konrath and has been downloaded more than 300,­000 times. He lives in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. His website is www.­blakecrouch.­co

On Christmas Day in 1893, every man, woman, and child in a remote gold-mining town disappeared, belongings forsaken, meals left to freeze in vacant cabins—and not a single bone was ever found. One hundred sixteen years later, two backcountry guides are hired by a history professor and his journalist daughter to lead them to the abandoned mining town so they can learn what happened. Recently, a similar party had also attempted to explore the town and was never heard from again. Now the area is believed to be haunted. This crew is about to discover, twenty miles from civilization with a blizzard bearing down, that they are not alone, and the past is very much alive.

CONFIDENCE GIRL comprises three interlinked novellas, which together create a stunning, novel-length portrait of Blake Crouch’s all-time favorite creation, Letty Dobesh. # THE PAIN OF OTHERS - Letty Dobesh, a gorgeous, degenerate thief, is fresh out of the clink and back to her old tricks—in this case, burglarizing suites at a luxury hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. But when she’s surprised by returning guests on her last room of the day, she’s forced to hide in the closet to avoid getting caught, and inadvertently overhears a hitman being contracted to murder the wife of a wealthy lawyer. # SUNSET KEY - Letty Dobesh is coming off a bender and hasn’t had a job in months when she gets a very enticing offer. John Fitch, the ultrawealthy CEO of a major energy company, has recently been convicted of securities fraud. In four days he must report to a federal prison, where he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life. Fitch wants a female companion for his last night of freedom. But Letty is no high-priced call girl, and this gig isn’t about sex. The plan is to steal an original Van Gogh from Fitch’s island retreat. A petty thief by trade, Letty has never had a shot at this kind of payout. It’s certainly dangerous, but the money will set her up for life and allow her to regain custody of her young son. Besides, it’s stealing from a very bad guy. If all goes well, she’ll be on Easy Street but in Letty’s life, all seldom goes well. # GRAB - Letty Dobesh: thief, junkie, pick-pocket, felon. But now, for the first time in ages, she’s also clean and sober, just out of rehab, and on a cross-country trip to reunite with her estranged little boy. Enter psychotic mercenary Isaiah Brown with a proposal that scratches at her oldest itch, something Letty has dreamed of all her life—the ultimate Vegas score. An ingenious plan to take down a casino that might actually work. All that’s standing between Letty and an inconceivable pile of money is the pick-pocket of a lifetime. One risky, impossible grab. Pull it off, and retire. But mess things up, and Letty Dobesh will lose everything she holds dear, including her life.

On their annual camping trip in the southern Appalachians, Roger and Sue encounter Donald, a Vietnam vet with a peculiar and menacing way. After offering a generous pour of Scotch—and taking a few for himself—the odd stranger reveals a disturbing truth. In this remote place, under a cold night sky, Roger and Sue become convinced they won’t leave the mountains alive.

From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and “Serial,­” comes this short story which is an excellent and affordable introduction to the author’s work.In “Remaking,­” tragic events unfold in a snowy, sleepy Colorado town. From the first scene, in which a man sits alone in the cold, watching a father and son in a diner, you know something is about to go horribly wrong. You may think you know what’s happening, but in this thrilling, heartbreaking story, nothing is as it seems.*Note: This 4000-­word story is collected with others in the eBook, FOUR LIVE ROUNDS, which also contains a Foreword by J.­A. Konrath and introductions to each story by Blake Crouch.

From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and “Serial,­” comes this short story which is an excellent and affordable introduction to the author’s work. In “On the Good, Red Road,­” a group of four hard men trying to reach a remote 19th Century mining town become stranded in an early blizzard and resort to drastic, terrifying measures, to stay alive.*Note: This story is collected with others in the eBook, FOUR LIVE ROUNDS, which also contains a Foreword by J.­A. Konrath and introductions to each story by Blake Crouch.About the Author:BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels and numerous short stories, including “Serial” which he co-­wrote with J.­A. Konrath and has been downloaded more than 250,­000 times. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. His website is www.­blakecrouch.­com.Praise for Blake Crouch’s ABANDON:ABANDON would make an excellent movie, switching back and forth between the plain-­but-­sturdy homes, saloon and church in 1893 and the same structures rotting to dust in 2009...­a clever dual story. CHARLOTTE OBSERVERABANDON [is] two separate works of past and present seamlessly melded together into a single novel that demands to be read in one sitting, so you can better appreciate the beauty of Crouch’s storytelling…[O]ne of those books that almost instantly puts you in the mind of a classic.BOOKREPORTER Haunting, fast-­paced, and thoroughly engrossing... ABANDON is one of the most original tales of ghosts, greed and gold I've come across. Crouch aligns both eras so perfectly, it's as if the characters are occupying the same breath within the space/time continuum. ABANDON will be one of the most talked-­about books of the summer.THE MADISON COUNTY HERALD Ambitious…the palpable suspense just keeps building, and many thriller fans—especially those who like a touch of horror—will lose sleep to find out how it all ends.BOOKLISTABANDON is terrific…a great storyteller hitting his stride.LEE CHILD

Now in a single volume...all of Crouch's Andrew Z. Thomas/Luther Kite novels that lead up to his and J.A. Konrath's thriller STIRRED...THICKER THAN BLOOD: The Complete Andrew Z. Thomas Trilogy (Desert Places, Locked Doors, and Break You), is now available in a single ebook featuring a goldmine of killer bonus features, including the never-before-released alternate endings to both Desert Places and Locked Doors, which together comprise the length of an additional novel.DESERT PLACES: A Novel: "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. Call that number. If I have not heard from you by 8:00 p.m., the police will receive an anonymous call. I'll tell them where Rita Jones is buried on your property, how you killed her, and where the murder weapon can be found in your house. (I do believe a paring knife is missing from your kitchen.) I strongly advise against going to the police, as I am always watching you." Andrew Z. Thomas is a successful writer of suspense thrillers, living the dream at his lake house in the piedmont of North Carolina. One afternoon in late spring, he receives a bizarre letter that eventually threatens his career, his sanity, and the lives of everyone he loves. A murderer is designing his future, and for the life of him, Andrew can't get away.LOCKED DOORS: A Novel: Seven years ago, suspense novelist Andrew Thomas's life was shattered when he was framed for a series of murders. The killer's victims were unearthed on Andrew's lakefront property, and since he was wanted by the FBI, Andrew had no choice but to flee and to create a new identity. Andrew does just that in a cabin tucked away in the remote wilderness near Haines Junction, Yukon. His only link to society is by e-mail, through which he learns that all the people he ever loved are being stalked and murdered. Culminating in the spooky and secluded Outer Banks of North Carolina, the paths of Andrew Thomas, a psychotic named Luther Kite, and a young female detective collide. Locked Doors is a novel of blistering suspense that will scare you to death.BREAK YOU: A Novella: Following the events of Desert Places and Locked Doors, Andy Thomas and Violet King are hiding out in the wilds of northern Canada, where Violet has a four-month-old son and a burgeoning romance with Andy. On a cold, rainy night at their cabin in the woods, the promise of an idyllic life that seems just around the corner is shattered when a man from their past, a monster of pure malevolence, returns. What he has in store for them will challenge their understanding of evil and stretch the fibers of their love to the breaking point.This 220,000-word ebook is absolutely loaded with content, including 2 full-length novels, a 20,000-word novella, an introduction, forewords to every book, an afterword, the short story, "Ginsu Tony" upon which Desert Places was based, the never-before-released 100-page alternate ending of Desert Places, the never-before-released 140-page alternate ending of Locked Doors, and more. This is everything written by Blake that you need to read in advance of the release of Blake's and J.A. Konrath's upcoming collaboration novel, Stirred.

From the Foreword by J.­A. Konrath:"As a horror writer, I often get asked what scares me. My answer is always the same: Blake Crouch. More than any other author working today, Crouch knows how to make the reader squirm. This short story collection is a perfect introduction to Crouch’s skewed world. But before you dive in, please heed my warning. I don’t care how tough you think you are. You still need to brace yourself. Because this is going to hurt…"From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and “Serial,­” comes this 21,­000-­word collection of four short thrillers. *69 - Tim and Laura West receive a bizarre voicemail on their answering machine that seems to have unintentionally recorded a brutal murder. But what happens when the killer realizes their mistake? This story unfolds over one terrifying evening, and this young couple will never be the same.REMAKING – Tragic events unfold in a snowy, sleepy Colorado town. From the first scene, in which a man sits alone in the cold, watching a father and son in a diner, you know something is about to go horribly wrong. You may think you know what’s happening, but in this thrilling, heartbreaking story, nothing is as it seems. ON THE GOOD, RED ROAD - A group of four hard men trying to reach a remote 19th Century mining town become stranded in an early blizzard and resort to drastic, terrifying measures, to stay alive.SHINING ROCK – An older couple encounter a strange and menacing visitor during a camping trip in the North Carolina mountains. Friendly at first, this stranger seems to know them, seems to know their secrets, and as things escalate, they become convinced that they may never leave these mountains alive.FOUR LIVE ROUNDS also contains a Foreword by J.­A. Konrath, introductions to each story by the author, an interview with Blake, excerpts from all four of his novels, and “The Agreement,­” a bonus short story by J.­A. Konrath.About the Author:BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels and numerous short stories, including “Serial” which he co-­wrote with J.­A. Konrath and has been downloaded more than 250,­000 times. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. Praise for Blake Crouch’s ABANDON:ABANDON would make an excellent movie, switching back and forth between the plain-­but-­sturdy homes, saloon and church in 1893 and the same structures rotting to dust in 2009...­a clever dual story. CHARLOTTE OBSERVERABANDON [is] two separate works of past and present seamlessly melded together into a single novel that demands to be read in one sitting, so you can better appreciate the beauty of Crouch’s storytelling…[O]ne of those books that almost instantly puts you in the mind of a classic.BOOKREPORTER Haunting, fast-­paced, and thoroughly engrossing... ABANDON is one of the most original tales of ghosts, greed and gold I've come across. Crouch aligns both eras so perfectly, it's as if the characters are occupying the same breath within the space/time continuum. ABANDON will be one of the most talked-­about books of the summer.THE MADISON COUNTY HERALD Ambitious…the palpable suspense just keeps building, and many thriller fans—especially those who like a touch of horror—will lose sleep to find out how it all ends.BOOKLISTABANDON is terrific…a great storyteller hitting his stride.LEE CHILD

From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and “Serial,­” comes this 1500-­word short story which is an excellent and affordable introduction to the author’s work. “Unconditional” explores a devastating conversation between two people after unimaginable events have occurred. To say more would spoil the revelatory nature of how this story unfolds.

At long last, the third installment in the Andrew Z. Thomas series and prequel to Crouch's and Konrath's thriller STIRRED...Somehow, Luther Kite has found them.Following the events of DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS, Andy Thomas and Violet King are hiding out in the wilds of northern Canada, where Violet has a four-month-old son and a burgeoning romance with Andy. On a cold, rainy night at their cabin in the woods, the promise of an idyllic life that seems just around the corner is shattered when a man from their past, a monster of pure malevolence, returns. What he has in store for them will challenge their understanding of evil and stretch the fibers of their love to the breaking point.This eBook, a 20,000-word novella, is both the sequel to Desert Places and Locked Doors and the bridge between Locked Doors and Stirred, coming this year from Crouch and J.A. Konrath. It isn’t necessary for you to read either Desert Places or Locked Doors to fully understand and be terrified by Break You. Additional material includes a foreword, afterword, bonus interview with Blake and J.A. Konrath, excerpts from DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS by Crouch, and SHAKEN by Konrath. About the Author:BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels and numerous short stories. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on the novel STIRRED with J.A Konrath, which will be the conclusion to both Crouch’s Andrew Z. Thomas and Konrath’s Detective Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels’ series. PRAISE FOR CROUCH’S DESERT PLACES...Harrowing...terrific...a whacked out combination of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy.PAT CONROYCrouch's smart, tight prose displays plenty of narrative energy...[he] shows real talent here...PUBLISHERS WEEKLYAn 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 MCDERMIDDESERT PLACES is about survival, both emotional and physical. Crouch delivers his description of place with telling and vivid prose...[and his] carefully crafted characters make the story immediate, intense and thoroughly believable...will linger in the [reader's] consciousness long after the book is read.DENVER POST[T]he fastest, meanest read I've had in quite a while. Crouch clamps on and propels you forward, even though you're not at all sure you want to go into the disturbing places where he's taking you.THE CAPITAL TIMESWow. Sometimes you stumble across a book that just plain creeps you out. There are many types of DESERT PLACES, and the most inhospitable are in the human heart.ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS[Crouch's] writing is sick, and I mean that in the very best way. If DESERT PLACES is any indication of what we can expect from Crouch in the future, be prepared to see his name on the bestseller lists.OTTAWA SUNThis is a complex, cleverly constructed novel of motive, and Crouch takes his time bringing us through the story...it's a great debut. Crouch is an author to watch.THE GLOBE AND MAIL (TORONTO)Two hundred and eighty pages of pure, lean thriller...prose that's throat grabbing...Blake Crouch is a major league talent who's going to be really, really big.SARAH WEINMAN, Gumshoe-Award Winning Crime Columnist[C]arried by rich, image-filled prose. Crouch will handcuff you, blindfold you, throw you in the trunk of a car, and drag you kicking and screaming through a story so intense, so emotionally packed, that you will walk away stunned. WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

Seven years ago, suspense novelist Andrew Thomas's life was shattered when he was framed for a series of murders. The killer's victims were unearthed on Andrew's lakefront property, and since he was wanted by the FBI, Andrew had no choice but to flee and to create a new identity. Andrew does just that in a cabin tucked away in the remote wilderness near Haines Junction, Yukon. His only link to society is by e-mail, through which he learns that all the people he ever loved are being stalked and murdered. Culminating in the spooky and secluded Outer Banks of North Carolina, the paths of Andrew Thomas, a psychotic named Luther Kite, and a young female detective collide. LOCKED DOORS is a novel of blistering suspense that will scare you to death. About the Author: BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels and numerous short stories. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. His website is www.blakecrouch.com. PRAISE FOR LOCKED DOORS... Crouch quite simply is a marvel. LOCKED DOORS is as good as anything I've read all year, a stay-up-all-night thriller that will have you chewing your fingers down to the nub even as you're reading its last paragraph. Highest possible recommendation. BOOKREPORTER Crouch's story has much going for it, as does his considerable skill as an author. The story grips and propels the reader, while Crouch makes the ride hypnotic with beautiful Carolina moons over tide-smoothed beaches. One wonders if a poet turned to horror, would this be the result. CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER Fast-paced and scary. CALGARY SUN Crouch writes a nicely turned character, puts them front-and-center and then rains holy hell upon them until you think your head is going to explode. THE AGONY COLUMN LOCKED DOORS, then, is on a big level a novel of redemption…great stuff, wonderfully written. THE NEW LONDON DAY Blake Crouch is a young thriller writer with a talent for creating really spooky characters and plots that take terror to a new level. TORONTO SUN Gut wrenching...the writing is tight, the plots exciting, the suspense unending...What Crouch does about as well as anyone is give the reader that sinking feeling in their gut. In LOCKED DOORS, I actually shuddered when certain events unfolded. Crouch tops my list. OTTAWA SUN Chilling...clever and lightning-paced...Blake Crouch has penned a sequel that will keep you reading long past your bedtime. BOOKPAGE Crouch's world will appeal to James Patterson fans...there's blood spattered from Manteo to Murphy by the time Crouch is finished. CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Expertly paced and viscerally effective, with many surprises and genuine chills. KIRKUS REVIEWS Palpable suspense. Non-stop action. Relentless and riveting. Blake Crouch is the most exciting new thriller writer I've read in years. DAVID MORRELL This tautly written, very scary thriller quickly grabs the reader by the throat. Leave the lights on; Luther may be out there. BOOKLIST When the story moves to the foggy, desolate Outer Banks, Crouch is at his terrifying best. You can feel the cold mist on your skin and see the creepy shadows barely illuminated by a distant cabin's flickering light. A great horror novel takes you to a place so scary and vivid as to make you thankful you are not actually there, and Crouch does this well. DENVER POST This is a new millennium, and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter have to be outdone. Crouch comes close. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS [LOCKED DOORS] is as suspenseful, chilling and macabre a novel as I've ever read. WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

Peter, a disgraced meteorologist and chronic wanderer, has traveled the country for years in his Winnebago, in search of the only thing that gives his life meaning. He’s just arrived in the middle of nowhere—Hokie, Kansas—for the same purpose, but when he meets a waitress named Melanie, another sufferer, he’s faced not only with his first real human contact in years, but perhaps someone who can save him. From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and SERIAL UNCUT comes this 7,­000-­word short story. Additional material includes an interview with Blake, excerpts from all four of his novels, and two bonus excerpts. About the Author:BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of four novels and numerous short stories. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. Praise for Blake Crouch’s SNOWBOUND:The journey towards the end of SNOWBOUND is as chilling as the setting is cold. Crouch's gift for suspense has never been this personal before. This is Blake Crouch, scholar of words, parser of tales. With great humbleness and the back-­up of a Booklist Starred Review, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. SNOWBOUND is simply superb.CRIMESPREE MAGAZINEYou have never read anything like SNOWBOUND, a sweet nightmare of a book that is unforgettable on several different levels. To put it another way, it's the Highway 61 Revisited of thriller novels. Some of you know what a compliment that is. If you don't, let me end by telling you this: I was screaming at one point while reading, and a few pages later I had tears in my eyes. Readers pour through shelves of books looking for writing like that. Look no further. I can't give you a greater recommendation than that.BOOKREPORTERPraise for Blake Crouch’s ABANDON:ABANDON would make an excellent movie, switching back and forth between the plain-­but-­sturdy homes, saloon and church in 1893 and the same structures rotting to dust in 2009...­a clever dual story. CHARLOTTE OBSERVERABANDON [is] two separate works of past and present seamlessly melded together into a single novel that demands to be read in one sitting, so you can better appreciate the beauty of Crouch’s storytelling…[O]ne of those books that almost instantly puts you in the mind of a classic.BOOKREPORTER Haunting, fast-­paced, and thoroughly engrossing... ABANDON is one of the most original tales of ghosts, greed and gold I've come across. Crouch aligns both eras so perfectly, it's as if the characters are occupying the same breath within the space/time continuum. ABANDON will be one of the most talked-­about books of the summer.THE MADISON COUNTY HERALD Ambitious…the palpable suspense just keeps building, and many thriller fans—especially those who like a touch of horror—will lose sleep to find out how it all ends.BOOKLISTABANDON is terrific…a great storyteller hitting his stride.LEE CHILD

From newcomer Jordan Crouch and Blake Crouch, author of the Top-10 Kindle-bestsellers Run, Stirred, and Fully Loaded, comes Eerie, a chilling, gothic thriller in the classic tradition of The Shining and The Sixth Sense.TRAPPED INSIDE A HOUSEOn a crisp autumn evening in 1980, seven-year-old Grant Moreton and his five-year-old sister Paige were nearly killed in a mysterious accident in the Cascade Mountains that left them orphans.WITH A FRIGHTENING POWERIt's been thirty years since that night. Grant is now a detective with the Seattle Police Department and long estranged from his sister. But his investigation into the bloody past of a high-class prostitute has led right to Paige's door, and what awaits inside is beyond his wildest imagining.OVER ANYONE WHO ENTERSHis only hope of survival and saving his sister will be to confront the terror that inhabits its walls, but he is completely unprepared to face the truth of what haunts his sister's brownstone.This 65,000-word novel also contains a bonus interview with Blake and Jordan.About the Authors:BLAKE CROUCH was born near the piedmont town of Statesville, North Carolina in 1978. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 2000 with degrees in English and Creative Writing. Blake is the author of five novels and numerous short stories. He lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book.JORDAN CROUCH was born in the piedmont of North Carolina in 1984. He attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and graduated in 2007 with a degree in Creative Writing. Jordan lives in Seattle, Washington. EERIE is his first novel.PRAISE FOR THE WORKS OF BLAKE CROUCH[In SNOWBOUND], Crouch builds suspense as lines blur between good and bad, and plot twists continue to the last sentence. Absolutely compelling.BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW) ABANDON…demands to be read in one sitting, so you can better appreciate the beauty of Crouch’s storytelling…[O]ne of those books that almost instantly puts you in the mind of a classic.BOOKREPORTERWeaving the past and present together with such seamless skill that from the prologue to the last page, this book captures the imagination. [ABANDON] has the arc and flow of a master storyteller. Easily my favorite book of this year.CRIMESPREE MAGAZINEHighly recommended, this is easily one of the best this year.NEW MYSTERY READER MAGAZINEABANDON is terrific…a great storyteller hitting his stride.LEE CHILDGut wrenching...the writing is tight, the plots exciting, the suspense unending...Crouch tops my list. OTTAWA SUNExpertly paced and viscerally effective, with many surprises and genuine chills.KIRKUS REVIEWSBlake Crouch is the most exciting new thriller writer I've read in years.DAVID MORRELLHarrowing...terrific...a whacked out combination of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy. PAT CONROYCrouch delivers his description of place with vivid prose...his carefully crafted characters make the story immediate, intense and thoroughly believable.DENVER POSTThis is a complex, cleverly constructed novel of motive, and Crouch takes his time bringing us through the story...a great debut. Crouch is an author to watch. THE GLOBE AND MAIL