Linwood Barclay’s newest domestic
thriller will be released by Morrow on 25 August in the U.S. and in September
in the U.K. It takes place in an upscale suburb west of Toronto, where Reece
Chartwell decided to visit his parents and talk to his father Brent about possible
career options. His job with the news division of a Canadian television network
recently ended as part of a major reduction in force, and Reece does not know
what his next role might look like. He did not expect find his parents dead in
bed with a gun on the floor near his father and blood everywhere. While he knew
his parents had developed separate interests over the years, Reece never
dreamed one or the other was this unhappy. He is understandably shocked beyond
words.
What initially seemed to the
investigating detective to be a straightforward murder-suicide began to look a
bit odd as she collected more details at the scene. When she asked more
questions about the victims, their relationships, and their history, Brent
Chartwell’s long-ago association with a large pharma corporation began to
assume more importance.
The story
flips back and forth in time from the present to some twenty years earlier when
Chartwell was working for Wiffel-Smith, producer of a controversial opioid. Barclay
often incorporates tense family dynamics in his books, exploring the different
ways individual members of a family experience the impact of a crime. Here, as
in Trust Your Eyes (2012), two brothers growing up in the same house
have turned out to be very different people in maturity, and they find they
need to redefine and re-negotiate their relationship after the death of their
parents.
There is no
shortage of plot twists here. This is Barclay’s 29th book. His
ability to structure a fast-moving story with suspense and create deeply human
characters is outstanding. Barclay’s fans will not be disappointed. Readers new
to his work will find this book a good place to start. An absorbing read for
anyone looking for a new thriller.
·
Publisher: William Morrow
·
Publication date: August 25, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0063276380
·
ISBN-13: 978-0063276383
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xJj0Gh
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal
It projects by day and reads mysteries at night
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