Most Popular Books by Newton Thornburg

“A thriller, and a whacking good thriller, too . . . shows how much can be done within a classic form by a writer who knows his business.”—The New York Times Alex Cutter is a scarred and crippled Vietnam veteran, obsessed with a murder he’s convinced his buddy, Richard Bone, witnessed. That it was committed by the powerful tycoon JJ Wolfe only makes Cutter even surer that Bone saw the unthinkable. Captivated by Cutter’s demented logic, Bone is prepared to cross the country with Cutter in search of proof of the murder. Their quest takes them into the Ozarks—home base of the Wolfe empire—where Bone discovers that Cutter is pursuing both a cold-blooded killer, but also an even bigger and more elusive enemy. “Tense, funny, and despairing . . . charged with a passion that makes even grotesques seem likeable and, more important, credible right up to the last, startling sentence.”—Time “May be the quintessential cult crime classic . . . continues to be cited by other writers as groundbreaking . . . The ending is pure Chinatown, with a dose of Easy Rider, and it leaves us reeling.”—Booklist (starred review) Praise for Newton Thornburg “A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power.”—The New Yorker “A born storyteller.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch “One of the truly great American writers of the 20th century.”—The Guardian

A harrowing thriller from the author of the acclaimed Cutter and Bone, “one of the truly great American writers of the 20th century” (The Guardian). After losing his wife, his parents, and his family farm, Tom Kohl is staying with his cousin Ken in Seattle as he tries to put his life back together. But things only go from bad to worse when Ken kills a man in a hit-and-run—a man who turns out to be the brother of Tony Jack Giacalone, Seattle’s top mobster. Out of loyalty to his cousin, Tom agrees to help cover up the killing. But when he’s spotted ditching the car by a cocktail waitress—who happens to be the girlfriend of a low-level mobster—the stakes only get higher, and Tom must face what he’s willing to do for family when his life is on the line. “[A] taut tale, in language as well as in action, with suspense stretched wiretight.” —The Christian Science Monitor “Swift prose and guaranteed action.” —Los Angeles Times

While investigating his son’s suspicious death, a father descends into darkness in this thriller by “a commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power” (The New Yorker). The police call on David Hook at his farm in Illinois, telling him his son Chris has committed suicide. But David knows something else must have happened in California to lead to Chris’s death. Diving into his son’s life, David discovers political corruption, immorality, and evil that shocks him to his very core. But it also awakens something lurking within, something David enjoys . . . something that poses an even bigger threat to those who hurt his son. “One of the truly great American writers of the 20th Century.” —The Guardian “Has an instant grab.” —Kirkus Reviews “A born storyteller.” —St. Louis Post Dispatch

An Ozarks rancher takes a desperate gamble in this searing novel from “one of the truly great American writers of the 20th century” (The Guardian). Bob Blanchard spent his entire inheritance on a cattle ranch in the Missouri Ozarks—but it hasn’t turned out the way he’d hoped, and he’s now being threatened with foreclosure. The cattle are sick, and the herd can’t survive, so Blanchard agrees to a reckless scheme to sell the cattle before their illness is widely known. But when a faked cattle rustling and an insurance scam goes wrong, the plan begins to crumble from the inside out. “A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power.” —The New Yorker “A born storyteller.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power." —THE NEW YORKER Two apparent suicides and a pair of brutal sex murders plunge would-be starlet Foxy Reno and ex-hippie drifter Crow into the dark underbelly of Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley. As Crow and Reno embark on a manhunt, they discover the dark side of desire in white-hot California.

A post-apocalyptic doomsday novel from“one of the truly great American writers of the 20th century” (The Guardian). In the dystopian future, the government has collapsed, cities are burning, and a roving gang called Mau Mau is marauding across America. A drifter named Walter Stone finds refuge at a lakeside camp, where the survivors of a plane crash have met up with other refugees, and are struggling with a constantly changing cast of leaders, as well as limited supplies. Across the lake stands the palatial Valhalla, a mansion well supplied with food and ammunition, where a wealthy junkman and his daughters live. The goal is to take control of Valhalla. The obstacles are certain death across the lake, rootless bands of killers threatening the camp, and a way of life that is quickly slipping away. “A commanding writer of unusual power and delicacy.” —The New Yorker “A born storyteller.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Brothers clash over the woman they both love in this provocative thriller by “one of the truly great American writers of the 20th century” (The Guardian). A classic bad seed and his good-guy brother fall in love with the same woman. Wild man Brian demolishes a movie set to get revenge against the studio he feels is defaming him. As Brian rampages from Colorado to Seattle with girlfriend, Eve, in tow, his brother, Charley, follows, unnerved by Brian’s increasingly violent behavior. The three are on a crusade ride through mayhem and madness, where one seeks justice, another seeks redemption, but they’re all seeking something in the ruins—each other. Eve’s Men is a fascinating trip with a volatile man and those who love him. “A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power.” —The New Yorker “A born storyteller.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The basis for the Australian film—a powerful novel of family ruin and redemption from “a born storyteller” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Wanted as a material witness in a drug-smuggling case, Greg Kendall is hiding out at his family’s old Chicago home. While there, he finds himself thinking about his long dead siblings, older brother Cliff and twin sister Kate. The two died in a car crash years before, and as Greg revisits and relives the memories of his childhood, he awakens long-buried secrets from the family’s past—including memories of his relationship with his twin that were better left undisturbed. “A commanding writer of unusual power and delicacy.” —The New Yorker “A born storyteller.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A father hunts the serial killer stalking his daughter in this twisted thriller by “one of the best writers of his generation” (The Guardian). Jimbo Slade, a drug dealer and prostitute, is also a suspect in a number of rapes and murders in Seattle. He’s outwitted the police and justice system before, but when the brutal killer targets teenager Kathy Baird, her father takes matters into his own hands. Turning the tables, Jack Baird slowly wins Slade’s trust, and soon he finds himself sharing Slade’s lifestyle—cruising the city’s sewers, lying to his family and the cops. He knows he can trust no one—not with the ruthless justice he has planned. “Thornburg is such an accomplished writer and the story so complex that the reader is left with much to ponder . . . Not an easy book to forget.” —Library Journal “A chilling tour of society’s sleazy underside.” —Publishers Weekly “Gripping.” —Kirkus Reviews “A commanding writer of unusual delicacy and power.” —The New Yorker

Une adolescente est assassinée. On retrouve son cadavre dans une poubelle de Santa Barbara. Richard Bone, gigolo et oisif professionnel, pense avoir été le témoin du crime et il croit reconnaître le meurtrier en la personne de Wolfe, un magnat de l''agroalimentaire. Bone et son pote Cutter, qui est revenu du Vietnam avec un certain nombre d''organes en moins, se lancent aux trousses de Wolfe pour le faire chanter... Ce roman retrace l''histoire de deux hommes que la destinée lie pour le pire parce que l''un, ex-cadre velléitaire mais sain d''esprit, est le double de l''autre, fils de famille déjanté, mégalomane furieux et suicidaire. Fin de fiesta à Santa Barbara est aussi un portrait du Grand Nulle Part américain. La poursuite de Wolfe se transforme en une impossible quête de la vérité et quand, à la fin, leur folle errance mène Cutter et Bone jusque dans le Missouri, on se demande quel monde est le plus effarant, celui de la " Mindless Swinging California " ou celui de l''Amérique profonde. De ce livre, Ivan Passer a fait un film culte du cinéma mondial : Cutter''s Way.

Etats-Unis, début des années 1970... Dans les mornes plaines de l''Illinois, David Hook, un ancien professeur de lettres, qui a décidé de reprendre l''exploitation familiale et de devenir éleveur, vit avec sa famille à l''écart du monde moderne. Les hippies de la Côte Ouest, les tensions raciales du Sud, tout cela lui paraît bien loin. Mais la réalité de son époque ne va pas tarder à le rattraper... Un matin, Hock apprend la mort de son fils Chris, dix-huit ans, parti quelques semaines plus tôt voyager à travers le pays avant d''intégrer l''université. Son corps a été retrouvé sur une plage de Santa Barbara en Californie, au pied d''une falaise escarpée. Pour la police, pas de doute, il s''agit d''un suicide : la veille de son décès, Chris aurait rencontré une jeune femme de la haute bourgeoisie locale qui l''aurait ramené chez elle. Après une soirée arrosée qui se serait soldée par un échec sexuel, le jeune homme, désespéré, aurait sauté de la falaise. Hook ne peut croire à cette version des faits. Il enterre son fils et repart en Californie mener l''enquête pour faire la lumière sur cette disparition aussi inexpliquée que tragique.

"Ce grand immeuble, sur l''autre rive du fleuve, expliqua Cross, c''est la banque du Commerce. Et maintenant, tout en bas, vous voyez cette petite porte d''acier inox ? C''est par là que passe le fric destiné à la banque". "Alors, s''exclama Raven en ricanant, c''est là qu''on va braquer le fourgon blindé ? Au beau milieu de la ville ?" "Autre chose, reprit Cross, imperturbable. On n''emportera pas le magot avec nous. On le balancera aussi sec à la flotte !".