Description

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On a frozen January night, a young man hangs himself in a lonely corner of the Upper Peninsula, in a place they call Misery Bay. Alex McKnight does not know this young man, and he won't even hear about the suicide until two months later, when the last person Alex would ever expect comes to him for help.

What seems like a simple quest to find a few answers will turn into a nightmare of sudden violence and bloody revenge, and a race against time to catch a ruthless and methodical killer. McKnight knows all about evil. Mobsters, drug dealers, hit men—he's seen them all, and they've taken away almost everything he's ever loved. But none of them could have ever prepared him for the darkness he's about to face.

A New York Times bestseller, Michigan Notable Book, and Boston Globe Best Crime Book of the Year, Steve Hamilton's Misery Bay marks the return of one of crime fiction's most critically acclaimed series.

About the Author

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Steve Hamilton was born and raised in Detroit, and graduated from the University of Michigan where he won the prestigious Hopwood Award for fiction. In 2006, he won the Michigan Author Award for his outstanding body of work. His novels have won numerous awards and media acclaim beginning with the very first in the Alex McKnight series, A Cold Day in Paradise, which won the Private Eye Writers of America/St. Martin's Press Award for Best First Mystery by an Unpublished Writer. Once published, it went on to win the MWA Edgar and the PWA Shamus Awards for Best First Novel, and was short-listed for the Anthony and Barry Awards. His book The Lock Artist is the winner of the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Novel. Hamilton currently works for IBM in upstate New York where he lives with his wife Julia and their two children.

Praise For…

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“I'm often asked to recommend a detective series readers might have missed. This is it.” —Harlan Coben

“Misery Bay showcases Hamilton's dark vision and his talents as a sturdy plotter. ... Hamilton's view of the harsh, bleak landscape of winter in Michigan's Upper Peninsula will have readers grabbing their coats and gloves as the frigid air seems to seep through the pages. Misery Bay is like a visit with an old friend with whom you can't wait to catch up.” —Sun-Sentinal

“A triumphant return for McKnight. Misery Bay is as good as the previous ones in this critically acclaimed series. The plot is as suspenseful as they come, with lots of unpredictable twists and turns.” —The Associated Press

“Superb.... Assured prose, a thrilling plot, and a surprising, satisfying conclusion make this a winner.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Hamilton's prose is straight and clean, as devoid of pretense as the author's name -- Steve, just Steve, with no accompanying initials. The book's complexity comes in Hamilton's gift for layers and the slow reveal.” —Seattle Times

“The best mystery novel I've read in a while.” —John J. Miller, The National Review

“This new entry in Hamilton's Alex McKnight series is one of his best. ... You'll not put this down willingly, and when you do, you'll still be thinking about it.” —Romantic Times

“Outstanding.” —Yahoo! Shine

“A solid, character- and conflict-driven procedural with one of his twistier plots.” —The Boston Globe

“Hamilton is as good as anyone out there when it comes to fast-paced dark mysteries.” —City Pulse

“Hamilton's compelling, vigorous prose doesn't allow the option of taking a break.” —Los Angeles Times

“Steve Hamilton writes the kind of stories that manly men and tough-minded women can't resist.” —The New York Times

“Hamilton writes tough, passionate novels.... This is crime writing at its very best.” —George Pelecanos

“Hamilton gives us mysteries within mysteries as well as a hero who simply won't be beaten down.” —The Miami Herald

“Already one of our best writers.” —Laura Lippman

“Hamilton's prose moves us smoothly along and his characters are marvelously real.” —Publishers Weekly

“Hamilton's prose...remains an unself-consciously terse pleasure.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Hamilton... paints a rich and vivid portrait of a world where the chill in the air is often matched by that of the soul.” —The Providence Journal

“Hamilton never misses a beat.” —Rocky Mountain News

“I really like his main character, Alex McKnight, and I'm ready to re-visit Paradise, Michigan.” —James Patterson on North of Nowhere