Synopses & Reviews
From the mind-shattering opening scene, internationally bestselling author of The Thieves of Darkness, Richard Doetsch takes readers on a twisting, turning adventure.Jack Keeler wakes up one bright June morning to the shock of his life. He gazes in the mirror and sees a half-healed gash over his right eye and a hastily stitched-together wound in his shoulder that looks suspiciously like the result of a bullet. He also notices an intricately designed tattoo—words written in a foreign script—covering the length of his forearm. He’s alone, his house eerily silent without the delightful chatter of his wife and two daughters. He has absolutely no memory of how, when, or why he ended up in such gruesome physical condition.
Jack gropes his way down to the kitchen to call his wife, Mia—an FBI agent—and to find some answers. But before he can pick up the phone, his eyes are drawn to the front page of that morning’s paper. He takes in a large photo of a bridge, the guard rail missing, a skein of tire marks on the roadway. Above the photo, in large black type, a headline that simply reads NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JACK KEELER DEAD.
As Jack struggles to find out not only what happened to him, but to his missing wife, fragments of his memory return. With the help of a loyal friend, he reconstructs the events of the previous night, which culminated in his being shot and Mia’s abduction. He has only until dawn tomorrow to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country's most heavily guarded prisons. Just when Jack thinks he has put all the pieces together and has saved Mia’s life, a final twist occurs that changes everything.
Review
"Richard Doetsch delivers one of the best thrillers of the year...a gut-wrenching read. The constant shocks and twists will delight the most seasoned thriller fan." —
The Associated Press
"This one will keep you guessing to the end." —Suspense Magazine
"A whole new meaning to the term 'thriller'...an incredible story that will leave one wondering until the very end." —Book Banter (blog)
“The story is too compelling to be abandoned before the last word and, even then, it doesn’t let go.” —Murder By Type (blog)
"Half Past Dawn defies description. There simply has not been anything like it. Ever. Full of nonstop action, mindbending switchbacks and psychological puzzles, it will keep you up far into the deepest hours of the night, quite possibly even until…half-past dawn. Richard Doetsch is undeniably the king of plot twists." —BookReporter
"Doetsch delivers a whole new meaning to the term 'thriller,' providing shocking revelations and realizations at the end of almost every chapter. Readers will be left wondering (and dreading) what will happen next, and be physically unable to stop reading.” —San Francisco Book Review
Synopsis
Jack Keeler wakes up one bright June morning to the shock of his life: a half-healed gash over his right eye, a hastily stitched together bullet wound in his shoulder, an intricate tattoo in a foreign script covering the length of his forearm, and a front-page headline that reads NEW YORK CITY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JACK KEELER DEAD.
He has until dawn to piece together what happened and to find his missing wife Mia, an FBI agent. The ensuing race is a twisting, turning, adrenaline-charged hyperspeed adventure that uncovers an ancient people lost to legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, a diary whose contents foretell the future, and a curious mystery hidden deep inside the country’s most dangerous prison.
About the Author
Richard Doetsch is the international bestselling author of five previous thrillers, including The Thieves of Faith, The Thieves of Heaven, which is currently being developed for film by Twentieth Century Fox, The Thieves of Darkness, which Doetsch is co-adapting with Shane Salerno (Savages, Armageddon, Hawaii Five-0), The 13th Hour, which is being adapted by New Line Cinema, and Half-Past Dawn. Doetsch is a triathlete, adventure racer, and extreme sport enthusiast and lives in New York with his family. Visit RichardDoetsch.com to find out more.