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Twenty Years Later

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Intro Slider
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THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN 

A Story of Two Girls . . . 

 

The One Who Returns 

 and the One Who Doesn't 

 

SUMMIT LAKE 

Summit Lake

Blue Ridge Mountains

February 17, 2012
 

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.
 

Summit Lake Trade Paperback
About the Author

About the Author

Charlie Donlea is the USA Today and #1 International bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don't Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House, Twenty Years Later, and Those Empty Eyes. His eighth thriller, Long Time Gone, explores the science of forensic genealogy and will be released in June 2024.    

His books have been translated into twenty languages across nearly forty countries, and have been optioned for film and television. He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.

Charlie Donlea
Book Gallery
Praise

PRAISE

FOR CHARLIE
DONLEA

NOVELS

 

 THE SUICIDE HOUSE

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“...Rory maintains a firm grip on our interest, mainly because “the mysterious and unexplained intrigued her” as much as it does us. ”

The New York Times Book Review    

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“Multiple intertwining storylines keep the pacing brisk and the tension high throughout.“

—Publisher's Weekly   

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“Charlie Donlea is a superb psychological suspense writer.”
—Seattle Book Review

 THE SUICIDE HOUSE 

“Charlie Donlea’s latest bristles with intrigue and suspense. . . . [R]eminiscent of Jeffrey Deaver’s work, especially his Lincoln Rhyme novels, and Stephen King’s excellent Bill Hodges trilogy.”
Mystery Scene Magazine, Hank Wagner

The

Suicide HOuse

 THE SUICIDE HOUSE 

"Charlie Donlea’s newest thriller is a sensationally creepy  novel, a gruesome and bloodcurdling mystery that will SHOCK you to your core.” 

—(au) Better Reading   

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Some

Choose

Darkness

“A harrowing ride full of twists and turns.”
—Press Republican 

 

 SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS 

"In Donlea's skillful hands, this story of obsession, murder, and the search for truth is both a compassionate character study and a compelling thriller.” 

—Kirkus Reviews  

 

 SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS 

“Donlea smoothly mixes red herrings and genuine clues...readers who relish a good puzzle will be rewarded.”

—Publisher's Weekly   

“Part 1970s serial-killer thriller and part contemporary Chicago crime novel, this deceptively quick read has something for everyone.”

—Booklist  

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SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS

Named one of the most

anticipated thrillers of
Summer 2019 

 

"The anxiety and deep cleansing breaths will be a must with this serial killer thriller."
—SheReads

 

 DON'T BELIEVE IT

"[Y]ou can’t blame Charlie Donlea if the ending of his novel makes your jaw drop. The title alone — DON’T BELIEVE IT  — is fair warning that his characters are no more to be trusted than are our initial impressions of them."

—The New York Times Book Review 

 

SOME CHOOSE DARKNESS

“Donlea’s cinematic style puts readers squarely into the scenes, and his skillful prose takes his work to a higher level.” 

NY Journal of Books 

"Donlea’s framing of the story as documentary research proves an effective device, and his work reads like the best nonfiction: clear, crisp, and fast-moving.”
—Booklist ​

 

 "[A] timely thriller that builds into a shocking conclusion. Don’t Believe It is sure to appeal to fans of true crime docu-dramas, along with readers of Mary Kubica or Shari Lapena.”
—Library Journal 

 

DON'T

 BELIEVE

IT 

"A perfectly executed and entirely satisfying read, Don’t Believe It is a gripping thriller that will blow readers away, from the first page right up to the very last words. Charlie Donlea’s best book yet!”
—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author 

 

 

 DON'T BELIEVE IT

  "Fast-paced, gripping and addictive, this one will feed your true crime obsession and then some." 
—POPSUGAR Book Club: 5 of May's Best New Reads

 

"This novel is a page-turner, and that accolade carries to the very last page and the very last line of the story.”
—New York Journal of Books

 

 

 DON'T BELIEVE IT

 "[N]ew York producer Sidney Ryan, the heroine of this riveting…novel from Donlea, is producing a documentary TV series. Donlea splices Sidney’s investigation with excerpted scenes from the documentary and jury room, creating a fast-paced narration. A risky late plot twist will frustrate some readers while thrilling others."
—Publishers Weekly

 

 

 THE GIRL WHO
WAS TAKEN 

"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

 

THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN 

“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

SUMMIT

LAKE 

"Horrible things happen in Donlea’s…debut, starting with the murder of first-year law student Becca Eckersley." 
—Publishers Weekly

 

"Donlea keeps readers guessing throughout. The whodunit plot is clever and compelling . . . for fans of nonstop mysteries with a twist.”
—Library Journal

 

“Fans of contemporary suspense will enjoy this brisk read.”

—Booklist

 

 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

 

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