Synopses & Reviews
After a mysterious fall from his New York City apartment, Philip Chase has moved back home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death of her younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Numb from watching too much television, rereading a tragic biography, and trading snipes with his mother, Philip is in stasis.
But everything changes late one windy February night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep. A sad young woman who still bears the scars of the accident that took Ronnie's life on the night of their prom, Melissa has unexpectedly found hope. She is nine months pregnant. And the father, she claims, is Ronnie.
So begins this startling tale, which moves from one breathless surprise to another as Philip and his mother confront not only Melissa's past but their own. Their desperate search for answers takes them on a poignant and emotional journey, ultimately placing them in the path of murder and revenge.
At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True confirms John Searles's place among the most gifted voices of his generation. Beautifully written and charged with a sublime wit, the novel brings to vibrant life a cast of characters that no reader will forget.
Review
"A fine, unsettling novel with richly etched characters and a delicious sense of menace." Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River
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"Imaginative and compelling....John Searles has created a novel that is sometimes eerie, sometimes thrilling, and always completely engaging." Carolyn Parkhusrt, author of The Dogs of Babel
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"John Searles novel illuminates the intricate dynamics of families with humor, heart, and truth." Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running With Scissors and Dry
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"Funny, mysterious and poignant....John Searles has created a novel to reread and treasure." Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Lucia, Lucia
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"This is a page-turner with characters you can never forget." Lisa Scottoline, bestselling author of Killer Smile
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"This tale has a light, eccentric aspect....Youll race right through it." New York Times
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"You know whats coming next, but you dont know all of it. This is the reason we keep reading." San Francisco Chronicle
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"[Searles] shows how mundane events and discoveries can jump-start the spirit and bring us to terms with what and who we are...remarkably true to life." USA Today
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"Part thriller, part mystery, part coming-of-age fable, this story of a high-school quarterbacks tragic death and a most unlikely pregnancy will hold you transfixed." Salon.com
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"Wonderfully entertaining." Esquire
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"Searles portrayal of a family in collective emotional agony is spellbinding." BookPage
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"Pitch-perfect...this novel plays out as vividly as a movie....Who wouldnt be sucked into this story?" Hartford Courant
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"Energetic and witty...the plot rocks." New York Newsday
Synopsis
"Sinister and complex.... You'll race right through it."--New York Times
The nationally bestselling novel of a family destroyed by grief and a mysterious pregnancy that will reveal secrets long buried--soon to be a major motion picture starring Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Blythe Danner.
After a mysterious fall from his New York City apartment, Philip Chase has moved back home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death of her younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Surrounded by memories of the family he no longer has, and trying to forget the reasons he left New York, Philip is in stasis.
But everything changes late one windy February night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep. A sad young woman who still bears the scars of the accident that took Ronnie's life, Melissa is nine months pregnant. The father, she claims, is Ronnie.
Now Philip and his mother must confront not only Melissa's past but also their own: the secrets each has buried and the lies each has told. But not everyone wants the past exposed.... At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True "will hold you transfixed" (Salon.com).
Synopsis
Now a Major Motion Picture starring Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Blythe Danner.
"Sinister and complex.... You'll race right through it."--New York Times
After a mysterious fall from his New York City apartment, Philip Chase has moved back home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death of her younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Surrounded by memories of the family he no longer has, and trying to forget the reasons he left New York, Philip is in stasis.
But everything changes late one windy February night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep. A sad young woman who still bears the scars of the accident that took Ronnie's life, Melissa is nine months pregnant. The father, she claims, is Ronnie.
Now Philip and his mother must confront not only Melissa's past but also their own: the secrets each has buried and the lies each has told. But not everyone wants the past exposed.... At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True "will hold you transfixed" (Salon.com).
Synopsis
This novel moves in unexpected directions from a family drama into a kind of mystery/thriller when Melissa Moody, girlfriend to Ronnie Chase, who died five years earlier in a car crash, tells Ronnie's brother and his cantankerous mother that she's pregnant with Ronnie's child.
Synopsis
After a mysterious fall from his Manhattan apartment, Philip Chase has moved home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death ofher younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Numb from watching too much TV and trading snipes with his mother, Philip is in stasis. But everything changes one winter night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep to deliver the news that she is pregnant ... and the father, she claims, is Ronnie.
So begins the startling tale as Philip and his mother confront Melissa's past and their own. Their search for answers takes them on an emotional journey, placing them in the path of murder and revenge. At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True brings to life a cast of characters that no reader will soon forget.This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
About the Author
John Searles is the author of the national bestsellers Boy Still Missing and Strange but True. He frequently appears as a book critic on NBC's Today show and CBS's The Early Show. He is the Editor-at-Large of Cosmopolitan. His essays have been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other national newspapers and magazines. He lives in New York City and can be found on Facebook and also on Twitter @searlesbooks.