Synopses & Reviews
From the acclaimed author of A FIELD OF DARKNESS comes another compelling novel featuring the acerbic and memorable voice of ex-debutante Madeline Dare.
Madeline Dare has finally escaped rust-belt Syracuse, New York, for the lush BerkshireMountains in Massachusetts. After her husband's job offer falls through, Maddie signs on as a teacher at the SantangeloAcademy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers. Behind the academy's ornate gates, she discovers a disturbing realm where students and teachers alike must submit to the founder's bizarre therapeutic regimen. From day one, Maddie feels uneasy about smooth-talking Dr. Santangelo but when she questions his methods, she's appalled to find that her fellow teachers would rather turn on each other than stand up for themselves, much less protect the students in their care. A chilling event confirms Maddie's worst suspicions, then hints at an even darker secret history, one that twines through the academy's very heart. Cut off from the outside world, Maddie must join forces with a small band of the school's most violently rebellious students-kids whose troubled grip on reality may well prove to be her only chance of salvation.
Review
"How nice it is to hear that rebel voice [of Madeline Dare] again."--New York Times Book Review
Review
"Madeline's deadpan voice, acid wit and psychological depth are the perfect counterpoint to the novels positively Gothic plot... She's a great character, and her creator is a great storyteller. Caustic, gripping and distinctive-intelligent entertainment."--Kirkus
Review
"Read's novel is fast-paced; once the action starts, don't even think about putting it down."--Library Journal (starred review)
Review
"Read's plot crackles and pops."--Booklist (starred review)
Review
"Gutsy."--Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
From the acclaimed author of "A Field of Darkness" comes another compelling novel featuring the acerbic and memorable voice of ex-debutante Madeline Dare.
Synopsis
"Madeline Dare is like that wild smart-mouthed friend who blows into town, sweeps you off into a knife-edge adventure you never saw coming, and makes you laugh out loud even at the darkest, most intense moments. I can't wait to meet her again."
--Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of In the Woods
Recently settled in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, Madeline Dare now teaches at the Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers. But behind its ornate gates, she discovers a disorienting world where students and teachers alike must submit to the founder's bizarre therapeutic regimen. A chilling event confirms Maddie's worst suspicions, leading her to an even darker secret that lies at the academy's very heart. Now cut off from the outside world, Maddie must join forces with a small band of the school's most violently rebellious students--kids who, despite their troubled grip on reality, may well prove to be her only chance of survival.
About the Author
Cornelia Read grew up in New York, California, and Hawaii. She describes herself as a reformed debutante who currently lives in Berkeley. This is her second novel. Her website is www.corneliaread.com.