The Lost Girls
As seen in The New York Times, PopSugar, and CrimeReads!
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Praise for THE LOST GIRLS:
“Elegantly written…The book begins at a leisurely pace, all dark mood and dark character, and then accelerates at a dizzying rate” -The New York Times Book Review
“Outstanding. . . Surprising twists accent this poignant story about two women, each with a single-minded goal. Chiarella is a writer to watch.” -Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
“Readers who enjoy true crime, especially podcasts, as well as thrillers featuring unreliable narrators, will appreciate Chiarella’s (And Again) haunting story of lost girls, lost women, and revenge.” -Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Chiarella expertly balances Marti’s emotional turmoil and sense of loss with the dark mystery at the heart of The Lost Girls. . . You can’t help but feel Marti’s anguish, as well as admire her tenacity to uncover the truth despite knowing what she may find. . . [A] richly textured missing persons story.” -BookPage
“Dark, clever and gripping. Starting with its ripped-from-the-headlines opening to its fast and furious descent down the rabbit hole of lies, deceit and revenge, The Lost Girls grabs you by the throat and never lets go. Fans of podcasts, true crime and edgy thrillers must read this book!” –Lisa Gardner, author of When You See Me
“The Lost Girls is an up-to-the-minute modern thriller with a true-crime feel and a gritty protagonist unafraid to spit in justice’s eye.” –Alma Katsu, author of Red Widow
When her true-crime podcast becomes an overnight sensation, a young woman is pulled into the web of a case that may offer a surprising connection to her own sister’s disappearance years earlier.
It’s been more than twenty years since Marti Reese’s sister, Maggie, disappeared. Only eight-years-old at the time, Marti can’t remember what happened, just that Maggie got into a car and never returned. After years of grief and countless false leads, Marti is coping as best she can: abandoning her marriage, drinking to forget, and documenting her never-ending search via a true-crime podcast. But when the podcast becomes an unexpected hit and Marti thinks she’s finally ready to put it all behind her, a mysterious woman calls with new information that could lead her down a dangerous path.
For years, Ava Vreeland has been fighting to overturn her brother’s murder conviction. After finding strange similarities between the two cases, Ava is certain there’s a connection between the murder and Maggie’s disappearance, one that could prove her brother’s innocence. Together, Marti and Ava embark on a quest for the truth, but the more Marti digs, the more she’s shaken by the answers she might find, and what it is she’s even searching for…
"Chiarella's engaging writing creates so many haunting moments that readers will find themselves moving quickly through the story, as well as awaiting her next work. This is a novel about what it means to be human, with all the flaws and vulnerabilities that implies, and whether we can ever truly begin again."
(Kirkus Reviews)
"[Jessica Chiarella] does an amazing job moving from character to character and delving into their inner thoughts. The idea of creating human clones is already a controversial subject, but this book offers and eye-opening view into the mental and psychological strain that it can cause. The vulnerability and self-consciousness of the characters makes them easy to relate to and endearing."
(RT Reviews)
AND AGAIN
A Target Club Pick for August 2016!
Available now:
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Audiobook available here:
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Check out an audio excerpt here!
Praise for AND AGAIN:
"What a stunning first novel! And Again was continually haunting me, and just when I thought I knew these characters, who are so vivid and singular in their desires and frailties, and yet so universal in their humanity, they surprised me once more until the pages were finished and I was left pondering our lives, our future, and how love still works. Jessica Chiarella has so much talent."
-Susan Straight, author of Between Heaven and Here
"And Again is a moving and beautifully crafted novel about the frailty of identity, the illusion of control, and the enduring power of love. A fantastic debut."
-Laila Lalami, author of The Moor's Account, Pulitzer Prize finalist and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize
"Contemplative...Chiarella's entrancing prose and fully fleshed characters should garner widespread, enthusiastic praise."
-Booklist
"It was the unique premise of AND AGAIN that pulled me in, but it was Jessica Chiarella's luminous writing that kept me reading page after page. The characters are gorgeously observed, the world fully believable and utterly absorbing. I never wanted it to end."
-Rebecca Johns, author of The Countess and Icebergs
On sale now from Touchstone...
AND AGAIN is the story of four terminally-ill patients who are given new, cloned bodies as part of a pilot program called SUBlife. While the “SUBs” are exact replicas of the patients’ former bodies, they are also genetically perfect, spared the onslaught of environmental damage that accompanies a normal life. Their vision is perfect. Old injuries disappear. Food tastes different. Scars, tattoos, and even the muscle memory they have always taken for granted is now gone. Their lives are saved, but their physical identities have been wiped away.
The novel follows these characters as they reenter their lives and find that they have been both restored, and unmade, by this medical miracle. Hannah, an artistic prodigy, discovers she can no longer paint. David, a congressman, attempts to hide his transformation from the public even as he continues to grapple with his old habits. Connie, an actress whose bombshell looks are restored after a protracted illness, attempts to navigate an industry obsessed with physical beauty. And Linda, who spent eight years paralyzed after an auto accident, finds she can no longer connect with the family she once loved. Throughout the following year, their return to health proves fraught with unbelievable rewards, and unimaginable risks.