DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Lost to Dune Road

Kara Thomas author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Amazon Publishing

Published:16th Apr '24

Should be back in stock very soon

Lost to Dune Road cover

For a disgraced reporter, unraveling a conspiracy of murder could mean redemption in a powerful novel of suspense by the bestselling author of Out of the Ashes.

Reporter Lee Ellerin’s investigation into a young woman’s unsolved murder gained national attention—only for her to lose everything due to a tragic mistake. After being publicly ridiculed for causing a suspect’s death, Lee is forced to leave her career behind.

Five years later, pregnant college student Amanda Hartley lies in a coma. The police say she attempted suicide, but the details don’t add up. Where is the father? Who was paying for Amanda’s Manhattan penthouse? Why did Amanda have a note with Lee’s name in her backpack? There’s also one alarming coincidence: Amanda was last seen on Dune Road in the Hamptons—where the murder victim in Lee’s previous investigation disappeared.

As she’s pulled back into the still-unsolved case that destroyed her career, Lee sees the chance to amend the mistakes of her past. But finding a killer and unearthing Amanda’s secrets sends her down a darker path than she has ever walked before.

Praise for Kara Thomas

Lost to Dune Road

“Thomas keeps her foot on the gas while shifting gears between a cast of plausible suspects, a handful of well-earned plot twists, and a serviceable romantic subplot for Natalee. This has all the ingredients to satisfy mystery fans.” Publishers Weekly

“Riveting, original, and one roller coaster of a read from start to finish, Lost To Dune Road by novelist Kara Thomas will have tremendous appeal for readers with an interest in psychological suspense thriller murder mysteries. A highly prized pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.” Midwest Book Review

“Clear your calendar because once you start reading this, you won’t be able to stop!” —Ashley Elston, New York Times bestselling author of First Lie Wins

Lost to Dune Road is a triumph. A twisty and emotional story about second chances and the pursuit of truth. Kara Thomas takes us on a journey into the darkest corners of the world of privilege, then skillfully guides us toward the light. If you haven’t read Kara Thomas yet, what are you waiting for?” —Alex Finlay, author of If Something Happens to Me

“I enjoyed Lost to Dune Road from the first page until the last. The voice is snappy, the plot deliciously twisted, the characters complex, and the ending deeply satisfying. Bonus? It has one of the best opening sentences in recent history.” —Jess Lourey, Edgar-nominated author

Out of the Ashes

“This elegant suspense yarn from YA author Thomas dodges expectations at every turn…and the enthralling plot delivers a steady stream of surprises. Thomas’s first foray into adult fiction is a thrilling success.” Publishers Weekly

“This story simply engulfed me. I didn’t trust a single seedy character that Samantha Newsom came in contact with while on her quest to unearth, after twenty-two years, who was responsible for murdering her entire family and setting their Catskills farmhouse aflame. Out of the Ashes is gritty, raw, and chock-full of tension as suffocating as the tiny town of Carney itself.” —Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark

“A masterful, smart, slow-burning suspense. Out of the Ashes drew me in with its sinister secrets and wouldn’t let me go until the very last page.” —Elle Cosimano, USA Today bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“Bold, unpredictable, and savagely beautiful, Out of the Ashes is that rare read that combines breakneck twists and turns with deeply woven themes of family, memory, and justice. You’ll read this with your heart in your throat, desperate to know what happened that night—but afraid at how ugly the truth might be. A searing, shocking powerhouse of a debut.” —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

That Weekend

“Kara Thomas is ruthless. When you descend into That Weekend, prepare for darkness ahead, breakneck turns, and shivery secrets. I am still reeling.” —Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos

“Deliciously twisted. Clear your schedule, because That Weekend is going to keep you up all night.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

“A deliciously unsettling and grimly beautiful examination of the dark and twisted potential lurking within us all. That Weekend is a bold and expertly plotted page-turner from beginning to end, and it firmly cements Kara Thomas as a master of the craft—no one writes a thriller like her.” —Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie

“Kara Thomas deftly weaves a web of secrets, tangling you in a mystery so shocking you’ll never guess the ending. My jaw actually dropped.” —Erin Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

“A riveting, unputdownable thriller that made my palms sweat and my heart pound. I devoured this book in a single sleepless night; That Weekend is a brutal examination of what it means to survive.” —Victoria Lee, author of A Lesson in Vengeance and The Fever King

“A mesmerizing, creepy, excellent thrill ride of a book.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

The Cheerleaders

“Sharp, brilliantly plotted, and totally engrossing.” —Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

“A crafty, dark, and disturbing story.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars.” —Riley Sager, bestselling author of Final Girls

Little Monsters

“A disturbing portrait of how bad news and gossip can curdle when mixed together.” —Oprah.com

“An eerie and masterly psychological thriller…[that] culminates in a shocking and disturbing ending. Thomas expertly captures the pointed nuances and the fickle, manipulative bonds of adolescent girls’ friendships.” School Library Journal

“Taut and suspenseful…this gritty page-turner will easily hook a broad range of readers.” Booklist

“An intense psychological thriller that all but ensures the lights will be left on between dusk and dawn.” Publishers Weekly

The Darkest Corners

“Gripping from start to finish, The Darkest Corners took me into an underbelly I didn’t know existed, with twists that left me shocked and racing forward to get to the end.” —Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen

“A tight, twisted thriller, full of deft reversals and disturbing revelations—deeply, compulsively satisfying!” —Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement

“As dark as Gillian Flynn and as compulsive as Serial…Kara Thomas’s mystery debut is intricate, chilling, and deeply compelling. Unforgettable!” —Laura Salters, author of Run Away

“You’ll be up all night tearing through the pages, gasping through the twists and turns.” —Bustle.com

“[It] will have you questioning the lies young girls tell, and the ripple effects they can have.” —EW.com

“Thomas carefully crafts the suspense, leaving present-tense narrator Tessa—and readers—to doubt even those she loves the most…An unsettling story of loss, lies, and violence lurking in the shadows of a small town.” Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“On the heels of Making a Murderer and The Jinx comes a psychological thriller strongly rooted in the true-crime tradition…Expertly plotted with plenty of twists and turns—never mind a truly shocking conclusion—this gritty thriller is sure to find a wide audience among teens and adults alike. Equally concerned with a quest for the truth and the powerful motivation of guilt, this compelling novel won’t linger on the shelf.” Booklist, starred review

“Thomas keeps it real with a jaded heroine from the have-nots societal segment who holds on to her humanity, and a frank illustration of failure in the justice system. Hand this one to older teens who love dark mysteries or fans of Netflix’s Making a Murderer.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

ISBN: 9781662509568

Dimensions: 216mm x 140mm x 22mm

Weight: 340g

335 pages