Charlie Donlea

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About Charlie Donlea

Charlie Donlea is the #1 internationally bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don't Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House and Twenty Years Later. Praised for his "soaring pace, teasing plot twists" (BookPage) and talent for writing an ending that "makes your jaw drop" (The New York Times Book Review), Donlea has been called a "bold new writer...on his way to becoming a major figure in the world of suspense" (Publishers Weekly). A late bloomer, he was twenty years old when he read his first novel––THE FIRM by John Grisham––and knew he would someday write thrillers. His books have now been translated into more than a dozen languages across thirty countries.

He was born and raised in Chicago, where he continues to live with his wife and two children. Visit him online at CharlieDonlea.com.

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Twenty Years Later: A Riveting New Thriller Dec 28, 2021

by Charlie Donlea

( 183 )

$9.41

Fans of Lisa Unger and Allen Eskens won’t want to miss this thrilling new suspense novel from the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Girl Who Was Taken! Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…

The New York TimesBest Thrillers This Season | E! NewsRecommended Books | OverdriveBiggest Books of the Month | Everything Zoomer, December’s Best Fiction

“Excellent…Donlea tells a propulsive tale.” —The New York Times

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11.Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

“Breathtaking pacing and clever plot twists.” —Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining thriller…surprises lurking around every corner.” —Kirkus Reviews

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Summit Lake Mar 28, 2017

by Charlie Donlea

( 730 )

$8.99

“A gem of a mystery, fast-paced and suspenseful.”--Catherine Coulter, # 1 New York Times bestselling author

Set in a small, picturesque North Carolina town, Charlie Donlea’s suspenseful debut novel tells the haunting story of a murdered law school student, the reporter assigned to her story—and the intimate connection that comes when the living walk in the footsteps of the dead.

“No suspects. No persons of interest. Just a girl who was alive one day and dead the next.”

Some places seem too beautiful to be touched by horror. Summit Lake, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is that kind of place, with charming stilt houses dotted along the pristine water. But two weeks ago, Becca Eckersley, a first-year law student, was brutally murdered in one of those houses. The daughter of a powerful attorney, Becca was hard-working, accomplished, and ambitious. Now, while the town reels with grief and shocked residents gather to share their theories, the police are baffled.

At first, investigative reporter Kelsey Castle thinks of the assignment as a fluff piece. But the savagery of the crime, and the determined efforts to keep the case quiet, all hint at something far more than a random attack by a stranger. As Kelsey digs deeper, pushing on despite danger and warnings, she feels a growing connection to the dead girl. And the more she learns about Becca’s friendships, her love life—and the secrets she was keeping—the more convinced she becomes that learning the truth about Becca could be the key to overcoming her own dark past…

Advance Praise for Summit Lake

“An exciting debut, with all the right touches, captivating from the first page to the last. There’s a bright future ahead for this newcomer to the thriller genre — definitely a talent to watch.”--Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“Gripping! This one kept me up late into the night.”--Nancy Bush, New York Times bestselling author

“A swift, outstanding debut. Summit Lake engrossed me then knocked me cold. Charlie Donlea is a superb storyteller sure to damage the best seller lists.”--Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author

“Summit Lake makes a small town come alive through the lens of madness, misunderstandings, betrayal, and a pile of the kind of secrets that makes a mystery of a life so hard to untangle from its death. The pages fly by, zinging through the twists and revelations, all the way to the shattering conclusion.”--Jamie Mason

“A brilliant, haunting thriller in which The Lovely Bones meets The Silence of the Lambs—with a bit of Twin Peaks thrown in for good measure! Charlie Donlea weaves a unique, spellbinding tale about a bond between two fascinating women—one living, one dead. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Summit Lake is an irresistible page-turner.”--Kevin O’Brien, New York Times bestselling author

“Grabs you from the very start and doesn’t let go! This gripping thriller keeps you at the edge of your seat and gasping in all the right places. Donlea spins a perfectly crafted story of two women, both victims of violent crime, searching for justice, redemption and ultimately—peace. You won’t be able to put this book down until you’ve uncovered all the secrets hidden inside the picturesque town of Summit Lake.”--Emily Bleeker

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , MP3 CD

Don't Believe It Mar 26, 2019

by Charlie Donlea

( 278 )

$7.99

From acclaimed author Charlie Donlea comes a twisting, impossible-to-put-down novel of suspense in which a filmmaker helps clear a woman convicted of murder—only to find she may be a puppet in a sinister game.

The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian, while on a Spring Break vacation, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison, and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.

As Sidney begins researching, she uncovers startling evidence, additional suspects, and timeline issues that were all overlooked during the original investigation. Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. But as the show surges towards its final episodes, Sidney receives a letter saying that she got it badly, terribly wrong.

Sidney has just convinced the world that Grace is innocent. Now she wonders if she has helped to free a ruthless killer. Delving into Grace’s past, she peels away layer after layer of deception. But as Sidney edges closer to the real heart of the story, she must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career . . . even her life.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , Audio CD

Some Choose Darkness (A Rory Moore/Lane Phillips Novel Book 1) May 28, 2019

by Charlie Donlea

( 372 )

$7.99

Forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore sheds light on cold-case homicides by piecing together crime scene details others fail to see. Cleaning out her late father’s law office after his burial, she receives a call that plunges her into a decades-old case . . .

In the summer of 1979, five Chicago women went missing. The predator, nicknamed The Thief, left no bodies or clues behind—until police received a package from a mysterious woman named Angela Mitchell, whose unorthodox investigations appeared to unmask the killer. Then Angela disappeared without a trace. Forty years later, The Thief is about to be paroled for Angela’s murder. But the cryptic file Rory finds in her father’s law office suggests there is more to the case.

Making one startling discovery after another, Rory becomes helplessly entangled in the enigma of Angela Mitchell and what happened to her. As she continues to dig, even Rory can’t be prepared for the full, terrifying truth that is emerging . . .

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , Audio CD

The Suicide House: A Gripping and Brilliant Novel of Suspense (A Rory Moore/Lane Phillips Novel Book 2) Jul 28, 2020

by Charlie Donlea

( 435 )

$7.11

An Apple Books Best of the Month Selection
A Publishers Weekly Summer Reads 2020 Editors’ Pick
A Library Journal “12 Novels Featuring Protagonists on the Autism Spectrum” Selection

A chilling murder in a prestigious prep school is at the heart of this riveting novel from acclaimed author Charlie Donlea, featuring forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips.

Inside the walls of Indiana’s elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus sits an abandoned boarding house, infamous among Westmont’s students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don’t let your candle go out—unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you . . .

One year ago, two students were killed there in a grisly slaughter. The case has become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, questions remain. The most urgent: why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house—to kill themselves. Rory is working on the podcast with Lane, recreating the night of the killings in order to find the elusive answers. But the more they learn, the more convinced they are that the sinister game inside Westmont Prep hasn’t ended. It thrives on secrecy and silence. And for its players, there may be no way to win—or to survive . . .

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback

The Girl Who Was Taken Mar 27, 2018

by Charlie Donlea

( 533 )

$4.27

Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t.

The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It’s a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing.

Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found and her sister’s fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she’s increasingly sure the cases are connected.

Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for . . .

“A fast-moving page-turner. . . . Donlea skillfully maximizes suspense by juggling narrators and time all the way to the shocking final twists.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Well worth the read.”
—Booklist

“Donlea’s sophomore effort is solid. He keeps the reader guessing and second-guessing until the end, thanks to an expertly crafted abundance of potential suspects.”
—Library Journal

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Mass Market Paperback , Audio CD

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Hay quienes eligen la oscuridad (versión española): Cinco mujeres desaparecidas y ningún culpable (Spanish Edition) Feb 1, 2022

by Charlie Donlea, Constanza Fantin Belloqc

$7.99

POR EL AUTOR BEST SELLER DE LA CHICA QUE SE LLEVARON

En 1979 cinco mujeres desaparecieron en Chicago. Sus cuerpos nunca fueron encontrados. El único sospechoso era un depredador, al que llamaron El Ladrón. Ha pasado 40 años entre rejas. Saldrá en libertad este verano. Nadie lo podrá detener.

La investigadora forense Rory Moore está de permiso después de la muerte de su padre. Mientras ordena su despacho, encuentra un archivo de hace cuarenta años sobre el caso de El Ladrón.

Durante el verano de 1979, cinco mujeres desaparecieron en Chicago y el depredador, apodado El Ladrón , no dejó ni los cuerpos ni ningún otro rastro. La investigación no tenía cómo avanzar, hasta el momento en que la policía recibió un paquete de una misteriosa mujer obsesionada con el caso, Ángela Mitchell. Estaba siguiendo por su cuenta la pista del posible asesino, pero un día ella misma desapareció. Y por su secuestro El Ladrón fue condenado. Han pasado cuarenta años, él ha cumplido su condena y está a punto de salir en libertad.

Mientras tanto, el archivo que Rory ha encontrado revela que el caso nunca se resolvió, y siente que es ella quien debe hacerlo. Empieza a investigar y hace un sorprendente descubrimiento tras otro, pero no logra descifrar qué pudo suceder con Angela Mitchell. Quizás sea mejor que nunca lo sepa.

Twenty Years Later: Sneak Peek May 31, 2021

by Charlie Donlea

( 65 )

$0.00

Be one of the first to read this sneak peek of the gripping new thriller from #1 international bestselling author Charlie Donlea, a TV news host sets out to uncover the truth behind a brutal, decades-old murder . . .

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life belies a much darker mystery. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

La chica que se llevaron (versión latinoamericana): Ella no recuerda nada. Mejor así (Spanish Edition) Mar 1, 2021

by Charlie Donlea, Constanza Fantin Bello

( 11 )

$8.99

Ella no recuerda nada. Mejor así. Su verdad era solo la mitad de la historia.
Megan McDonald está terminando el bachillerato, es popular, carismática, y tiene un futuro increíble por delante. En una de sus últimas noches en Emerson Bay, la secuestran.
Megan está dos semanas en cautiverio hasta que escapa, y pasa a ser conocida como "la chica que se llevaron". Pero esa noche también desapareció Nicole Cutty y de ella nadie sabe nada.
Megan escribe su libro, que se convierte en un bestseller, pero ella no está bien. Recuerda muy poco de lo que ocurrió y necesita saberlo. Livia, médica forense, es la hermana mayor de Nicole. Todavía se siente culpable por no haber contestado el teléfono cuando Nicole la llamó la noche en que desapareció.
Megan y Livia deciden investigar qué pasó con Nicole. Cuanto más profundizan se dan cuenta de que el verdadero terror reside en encontrar exactamente lo que estabas buscando.
Llega al español Charlie Donlea, autor de thrillers, best seller internacional #1, traducido a 12 idiomas en 20 países.
"Donlea mantiene a sus lectores adivinando todo el tiempo. Las vueltas de la historia son inteligentes y atrapantes, para fans que disfrutan de las historias de misterios con giros inesperados". Library Journal.
"Un excelente libro con todos los ingredientes necesarios, cautivante desde la primera a la última página. Charlie Donlea tiene un talento para no perder de vista dentro del género de thrillers". Steve Berry, bestseller de The New York Times

Other Formats: Paperback

La chica que se llevaron (versión española): Ella no recuerda nada. Mejor así (Motus nº 1) (Spanish Edition) Mar 1, 2021

by Charlie Donlea, Constanza Fantin Bellocq

( 22 )

$8.99

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

Mörderische Aussichten: Thriller & Krimi bei Droemer Knaur: Ausgewählte Leseproben von S. K. Tremayne, Isolde Peter, Veit Etzold, Val McDermid uvm. (German Edition) May 1, 2020

by Thomas Rydahl, A. J. Kazinski, Joseph Knox, Isolde Peter, Magnus Argen, Val McDermid, Sam Eastland, S. K. Tremayne, Charlie Donlea, John Katzenbach, Gilly Macmillan, Veit Etzold, Lisa Jackson, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Eva Siegmund

( 4 )

$0.00

Sie lieben Nervenkitzel und Spannung? Das schön-schaurige Gefühl, das Ihnen den Rücken hinabläuft, wenn Sie von Verschwörungen, Psychoterror oder Mordfällen lesen? Dann ist dieser Leseproben-Mix genau das Richtige für Sie!

Bewahren Sie die Ruhe, wenn plötzlich die Smart Home-Assistentin aus S. K. Tremaynes "Die Stimme" Dinge über ihre Besitzerin weiß, die sie nicht wissen dürfte, oder Dinge tut, zu denen sie nicht in der Lage sein dürfte? Sie faszinieren zukunftsnahe, dystopische Szenarien? Wie wäre es dann mit dem Techno-Thriller "Sodom", in dem durch Prothesen optimierte Killer die Straßen Berlins in einen tödlichen Dschungel verwandeln?

Nach all den Schockern darf es auch etwas humorvoller sein? Begleiten Sie die Staatsanwalts-Sekretärin Daisy Dollinger, die mit ihrem Dackel Wastl zur Undercover-Agentin wird und plötzlich einen Mord vor dem Münchner Hofbräuhaus aufklären muss, in Isolde Peters "Der halbe Russ".

Diese und weitere Geschichten von AutorInnen wie John Katzenbach, Val McDermid, Lisa Jackson oder dem Erfolgsduo Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child finden Sie in den Vorab-Leseproben zu den Spannungs-Titeln von Droemer Knaur, die im Herbst und Winter 2020 erscheinen. Nervenkitzel und beste Unterhaltung garantiert!

Das kostenlose eBook enthält Leseproben zu:

- Rydahl/Kazinski, "Die tote Meerjungfrau"

- Isolde Peter, "Der halbe Russ"

- Val McDermid, "Das Grab im Moor"

- S. K. Tremayne, "Die Stimme"

- John Katzenbach, "Der Bruder"

- Gilly Macmillan, "Sieben Wahrheiten"

- Veit Etzold, "Final Control"

- Lisa Jackson, "Paranoid"

- Eva Siegmund, "Sodom"

Kvinnan i mörkret (Swedish Edition) Oct 4, 2021

by Charlie Donlea, Bo Samuelsson

$11.99

Det är lätt att missa sanningen, även när vi har den rakt framför oss.

Den forensiska rekonstruktören Rory Moore kastar nytt ljus över kalla mordfall genom att pussla ihop detaljer på brottsplatserna som andra inte lägger märke till. När hon efter sin fars begravning håller på att avveckla hans advokatbyrå får hon ett uppdrag som kastar henne in i ett 40 år gammalt fall ...
Sommaren 1979 försvann fem kvinnor i Chicago. Förövaren, med smeknamnet Tjuven, lämnade inga lik efter sig och det fanns inga ledtrådar förrän polisen fick in ett paket från en mystisk kvinna som hette Angela Mitchell, vars okonventionella utredning tycktes avslöja mördaren. Därefter försvann Angela spårlöst. Fyrtio år senare är Tjuven på väg att bli frigiven efter att ha suttit fängslad för mordet på Angela. Men de förbryllande dokument som Rory hittar på sin fars advokatbyrå tyder på att fallet inte är fullt så enkelt.
Rory gör den ena skrämmande upptäckten efter den andra och blir ohjälpligt indragen i gåtan kring Angela Mitchell och vad som hänt med henne. När Rory fortsätter att gräva ställs hon inför en fruktansvärd sanning som hon är helt oförberedd på ...

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