Synopses & Reviews
I killed and buried my best friend today ...
When authorities found Raffi Kodikian -- barely alive -- four days after he and his friend David Coughlin became lost in Rattlesnake Canyon, they made a grim and shocking discovery. Kodikian freely admitted that he had stabbed Coughlin twice in the heart. Had there been a darker motive than mercy? And how could anyone, under any circumstances, kill his best friend?
Armed with the journal Kodikian and Coughlin carried into Rattle- snake Canyon, Jason Kersten re-creates in riveting detail those fateful days that led to the killing in an infamously unforgiving wilderness.
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“Five stars. As tough to put down as Jon Krakauers Into the Wild.” Maxim
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“A taut, expertly researched true-crime narrative.” Boston Herald
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“Addictive.” Time Out New York
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“Fascinating” Oregonian
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“One of those rare books that the reader will be compelled to read in a single sitting...Its that good.” Tulsa World
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“A powerful story ... one hell of a fascinating ride.” National Geographic Adventure
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“A riveting story, a page turner, a book that I couldnt put down.” Lawrence Schiller, author of Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
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“A true American tragedy, beautifully written.” Tony Hillerman, author of The Sinister Pig
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“A brilliantly crafted exploration of a profoundly human mystery.” Victoria Bruce, author of No Apparent Danger
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Kerstens well-crafted narrative is light and briskly paced, replete with local desert color Booklist
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“A story that is inherently interesting.” Rocky Mountain News
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“Wholly absorbing...Tells the story of Coughlin and Kodikian with quiet authority, lending unexpected dignity to the whole affair.” New York Times Book Review
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“A fascinating case, a fascinating book.” Anderson Cooper, CNN
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“A gripping, readable tale” Austin American-Statesman
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“A brilliant new book...in the great nonfiction tradition of Jon Krakauers Into the Wild.” Advertising Age
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“Deftly penned by Jason Kersten, a rising star in the journalism world ... resounding [and] unforgettable.” Denver Westword
About the Author
Jason Kersten is a freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in Rolling Stone and Men's Journal, as well as other magazines. He holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and lives in New York City.