A Field of Darkness

In this “spellbinding” thriller, a former socialite turned working class wife is drawn to investigate a twenty year old murder to clear her family’s name (Marilyn Stasio, New York Times).

Madeline Dare isn't your average detective. Born into a blue-blood family, she followed her heart to marry ruggedly handsome Dean, a farmboy-genius investor who's as far from high society as humanly possible. Now Maddie's stuck in the post-industrial wasteland of Syracuse, New York, while her husband spends weeks on the road perfecting the railway equipment innovation that might be their only chance to escape.

She can handle her job as a journalist churning out lightweight features for the local paper. It's the Dean-less nights in their dingy, WASP-castoff-crammed apartment that Maddie can't stomach. Obsession trumps angst when a set of long-buried dog tags link her favorite cousin to the scene of a vicious double homicide. Drawn by the desire to clear her cousin's name, she uncovers a startling web of intrigue and family secrets that could prove even more deadly.

“Every page is a pleasure. . . . Read's plot crackles and pops, but her characters steal the show. . . . This is sure to be loved by fans of comic mysteries, but don't be surprised if Tom Wolfe readers are equally smitten by Read's venomously witty portrait of a fallen WASP.” —Booklist, starred review

“Read’s impressive debut . . . [written] with verve and passion. . . . consistently delights. . . . The author's sharp social commentary on everything from the idle rich to the environment adds to the pleasure.” —Publishers Weekly

“Smart and stylish . . . wryly funny and consistently entertaining.” —Jonathan Lescroart, New York Times–bestselling author of The Missing Piece