The Silent Girls

With the dead of a bitter Vermont winter closing in, evil is alive and well . . .Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective’s badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote rural community of Canaan find an ’89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road, and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappeared without a trace. Soon Rath’s investigation brings him face-to-face with the darkest abominations of the human soul.  With the consequences of his violent and painful past plaguing him, and young women with secrets vanishing one by one, he discovers once again that even in the smallest towns on the map, evil lurks everywhere—and no one is safe.Morally complex, seething with wickedness and mystery, and rich in gritty atmosphere and electrifying plot turns, The Silent Girls marks the return of critically acclaimed author Eric Rickstad.

Steve Ulfelder, Edgar finalist author of Wolverine Bros. Freight & Storage

“The Silent Girls is Vermont’s own True Detective...Three-dimensional characters, a moody rural-noir vibe, and a compulsively readable story make this a stunner of a crime novel!”

Paul Doiron, author of The Poacher's Son

“Eric Rickstad’s The Silent Girls is a bone-chilling mystery set in one of New England’s darkest corners, the kind of place travelers are well-advised to avoid after nightfall. This well-crafted book will have you staying up late, turning pages and afraid to turn off the light.”

Roger Smith, international best-selling author of Wake Up Dead, Dust Devils, Mixed Blood and Sacrifices

“Finely drawn characters, a narrative that beguiles and surprises and stark, poetic writing make for a novel as dark and brooding as its rural Vermont setting. The Silent Girls is both an exceptional detective story and a terrifying meditation on good and evil.”

Jake Hinkson, author of Hell on Church Street and The Big Ugly

“The Silent Girls is a thrilling ride to very dark places. I kept turning pages, scared of what I’d find but compelled to look. It’ll keep you reading all the way up to its shattering conclusion.”

Stephen Foreman, author of the novels Watching Gideon and Toe Hold

“From the very first, a feeling of dread crept over me and stayed with me until the end, and remains with me days later. The Silent Girls is love and terror, a mix of intense feelings that seeps into your heart and does not go away.”

From the Back Cover

With the dead of a bitter Vermont winter closing in, evil is alive and well . . .Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective’s badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote rural community of Canaan find an ’89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road, and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappeared without a trace. Soon Rath’s investigation brings him face-to-face with the darkest abominations of the human soul.  With the consequences of his violent and painful past plaguing him, and young women with secrets vanishing one by one, he discovers once again that even in the smallest towns on the map, evil lurks everywhere—and no one is safe.Morally complex, seething with wickedness and mystery, and rich in gritty atmosphere and electrifying plot turns, The Silent Girls marks the return of critically acclaimed author Eric Rickstad.

About the Author

Eric Rickstad is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of The Silent Girls, Lie in Wait, and Reap, novels heralded as intelligent and profound, dark, disturbing, and heartbreaking. He lives in his home state of Vermont with his wife, daughter, and son.

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