A stunning literary thriller set in rural Vermont from the much praised author of Nightswimmer and Clara's Heart
Once a major reporter for a national newspaper, Catherine Winslow has retreated to the Upper Valley of Vermont to write a household hints column. While out walking during an early spring thaw, Catherine discovers the body of a woman leaning against an apple tree near her house. From the corpseΠ²Πβ’s pink parka, Winslow recognizes her as the latest victim of a serial killer, a woman reported missing weeks before during a blizzard.
When her neighbor, a forensic psychiatrist, is pulled into the investigation, Catherine begins to discover some unexpected connections to the serial murders. One is that the murders might be based on a rare unfinished Wilkie Collins novel that is missing from her personal library. The other is her much younger lover from her failed affair has unexpectedly resurfaced and is trying to maneuver his way back into her affections.
Elegant, haunting and profoundly gripping, Cloudland is an ingenious psychological trap baited with murder, deception and the intricacies of desire.
Review
Π²ΠΡCloudland is a beautiful and original novel. Murder, darkness and snow Π²Πβ we immediately felt at home. The depth is painted with precise brushstrokes. The language is as light as snowflakes swirling across a frozen field. The characters are alive, constantly interesting and very cleverly drawn. The murder mystery is deep and intricate. It was genuine and moving. As readers, weΠ²Πβ’d love to linger in this book, but the story forces us forward. This is true quality crime fiction.Π²ΠΡ --Lars Kepler, New York Times bestselling author of The Hypnotist
Π²ΠΡIn Cloudland, Joseph Olshan has written a truly involving thriller with the bones and brain of a serious work of literature, which gives great depth and resonance to the well-wrought thriller plot. This is so difficult an accomplishment that to my knowledge it has been managed only once before in this century. Cloudland could also be thought of as a tribute to Wilkie Collins, as much one of Olshan's grandfathers as he is of mine. It's a lovely knockout, this book.Π²ΠΡ --Peter Straub, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Story and A Dark Matter
"A thriller in the widest sense of the word -- where not only does the reader wonder what happens next, they wonder why it will happen. Written in consistently elegant prose, with memorable psychological acuity, Cloudland is both exciting and compelling and will keep readers turning pages energetically." --John Katzenbach, international bestselling author of The Wrong Man*
Π²ΠΡCloudland is Joseph OlshanΠ²Πβ’s best work since ClaraΠ²Πβ’s Heart*, a novel of high suspense thatΠ²Πβ’s written in prose as lyrical as* The Lovely Bones*.Π²ΠΡ --*New York Times bestselling author Steven Gaines
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About the Author
Joseph Olshan is the award-winning author of ten novels including Nightswimmer and The Conversion. He spends most of the year in Vermont.