Bath Haus
A Thriller
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3.9 • 16 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Nominated for a 34th annual Lambda Literary Award • A scintillating thriller with an emotional punch: “The tension builds to unbearably claustrophobic levels. To say more would rob readers of the 'no, he didn’t' suspense that makes Bath Haus an unexpectedly twisted, heart-pounding cat-versus-mouse thriller" (Los Angeles Times).
Oliver Park, a recovering addict from Indiana, finally has everything he ever wanted: sobriety and a loving, wealthy partner in Nathan, a prominent DC trauma surgeon. Despite their difference in age and disparate backgrounds, they've made a perfect life together. With everything to lose, Oliver shouldn't be visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse. But through the entrance he goes, and it's a line crossed. Inside, he follows a man into a private room, and it's the final line. Whatever happens next, Nathan can never know. But then, everything goes wrong, terribly wrong, and Oliver barely escapes with his life.
He races home in full-blown terror as the hand-shaped bruise grows dark on his neck. The truth will destroy Nathan and everything they have together, so Oliver does the thing he used to do so well: he lies.
What follows is a classic runaway-train narrative, full of the exquisite escalations, edge-of-your-seat thrills, and oh-my-god twists. P. J. Vernon's Bath Haus is perfect for readers curious for their next must-read novel.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Desire can be as powerful as any drug. As this white-hot thriller proves, it can also be just as deadly. Oliver Park has everything he could want in life, including a monogamous partner he’s crazy about. But one fateful night, Oliver gives himself over to the temptation of a gay bathhouse and gets tangled in a web of lies that puts more than just his relationship in danger. P. J. Vernon’s tightly woven prose hooked us right away, pulling us into Oliver’s increasingly desperate and paranoid mind. Twisty and breathless, Bath Haus is the hair-raising queer thriller we’ve been waiting for.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
At the start of this clever crime novel from Vernon (When You Find Me), 26-year-old recovering addict Oliver Park visits Haus, a Washington, D.C., bathhouse for anonymous gay sex, where he meets Kristian, who nearly strangles him to death. Terrified to tell his older partner, well-to-do surgeon Nathan Klein, that he's been unfaithful, Oliver claims he was mugged while out for a run to explain his bruises. Then Oliver spots Kristian among the crew sent to do some repairs at the house he shares with Nathan, and starts receiving anonymous threatening text messages. Oliver tells a police officer, Det.-Sgt. Rachel Henning, about the attack, but she later gives him an ultimatum: either he tells Nathan the truth within three days or she will. When Rachel discovers Kristian's body and the text messages continue, Oliver realizes someone else was behind what happened at Haus. Cunning lies and premeditated schemes, from gaslighting to murder, lead to the unraveling of Oliver and Nathan's increasingly shaky relationship. Vernon keeps the suspense high as the plot twists and turns to the satisfying resolution. This is a no-brainer for Patricia Highsmith fans.
