Midnight in Soap Lake

'Midnight in Soap Lake made me fall in love with reading all over again' Stuart Turton

‘A fantastic, assured debut’ Elly Griffiths on Matthew Sullivan

Abigail uprooted her life to move to Soap Lake, Washington. A once-popular tourist destination, the town is now home to a dwindling population and the menacing shadow of an urban legend.

With her husband away on a work trip, Abigail is alone when a young boy emerges from the desert scrub, catatonic and covered in blood. His mother, Esme, lies stabbed to death in a nearby car.

When Abigail discovers Esme was a local woman who moved away after a series of tragedies, she is compelled to find answers. Esme’s is not the only mysterious death this town has witnessed.

But her search attracts unwanted and dangerous attention. Drawn into a complex web of conspiracies and violence, Abigail will learn that the smallest towns can hide the biggest secrets.

Reviews

'Hooked me from page one. This twisty, smart thriller is brimming with complex characters, a page-turning plot and big questions of science, nature, marriage and murder. Matthew Sullivan expertly blends fact, fable and the evocative setting of Soap Lake in rural Washington state to create a spellbinding novel—I adored it.' Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics

'A shimmering, shadowy tarn of a mystery, rippling with complex heroines, David Lynchian townspeople, sinister bogeymen (TreeTop is terrifying!), and a spectacularly rich storyline set in smalltown Washington State. Fans of Tana French, Jess Walter, and Kate Atkinson will absolutely love this novel.' Sharma Shields, author of The Sasquatch Hunter's Almanac

Praise for the author

‘This book ticked all the boxes for me: an engaging heroine, an intriguing premise, interesting characters and a plot that involved books, readers and the very darkest human passions. A fantastic, assured debut.’ Elly Griffiths, bestselling author of The Crossing Places

‘Matthew Sullivan has written—with great panache and suspense—a smart, twisty crime novel filled with compelling characters set in a world that book-lovers will adore.’ Jess Walter, # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins

‘There is a clever, erudite puzzle plot in this bookish mystery, along with whip-smart writing. Matthew Sullivan’s debut is stylish and entertaining.’ Ellen Crosby, author of The Champagne Conspiracy

‘An intriguingly dark, twisty story and eccentric characters make this book a standout.’ Kirkus Reviews

About the author

Matthew Sullivan received his MFA from the University of Idaho and has been a resident writer at Yaddo, Centrum, and the Vermont Studio Center. His short stories have been awarded the Robert Olen Butler Fiction Prize and the Florida Review Editors’ Award for Fiction. His writing has been featured in Modern Love, The Daily Beast, and Shelf Awareness amongst others. His first novel, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, was an Indie Next pick, a B&N Discover pick, and one of SUSPENSE Magazine's Best Debuts of 2017.