Double Trouble - by Joyce Carol Oates (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A double dose of gripping psychological suspense, pairing two complete novels and two rare short stories, from six-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Joyce Carol Oates. Two serial killers - one female, one male - murder in the name of a higher cause. Ideal for fans of Alice Munro, Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.

Celebrating 40 Years of pseudonymous suspense from JOYCE CAROL OATES

Four decades ago, acclaimed literary author Joyce Carol Oates penned her first novel of psychological suspense under the name "Rosamond Smith." In the Smith books, Oates explored themes of betrayal and deception, lust and murder, through stories involving twins, doubles, and hidden second identities - initially, keeping her own double identity a secret.

Hard Case Crime is proud to bring these extraordinary works of crime fiction, long unavailable in bookstores, back into print in definitive double editions, each pairing two complete novels and two never-before-collected Oates short stories, all linked thematically, to weave a sinister web filled with dark reflections.

In This Volume...

A female serial killer seeks refuge in her twin sister's home in STARR BRIGHT WILL BE WITH YOU SOON, while a male serial killer murders for the woman he craves in SOUL/MATE -- and the echoes continue in the rare short stories "The Murderess" and "An Unsolved Crime."

Review Quotes

"Oates is one of the greatest writers among us today." Gillian Flynn

"[She] could become the world's Number One mystery writer easily." Elmore Leonard

"Mesmerizing... calls to mind a David Lynch film." New York Times

"A brilliant writer." Time

"Superb thrillers, suspenseful and briskly paced and impossible to look away from... this collection is a must-read." Booklist

Featured on Crimereads 'Most Anticipated Crime Novels, Mysteries and Thrillers of 2026'

"Inventive... Fans of the author and of literary crime fiction will be pleased." Publishers Weekly

"Double Trouble is a golden opportunity to revisit some outstanding work from the great Joyce Carol Oates, which allowed her to step into the shoes of Rosamond Smith and bring us complex and dark stories of obsession and murder that only she could have conceived." Book Reporter

"I wholeheartedly recommend Double Trouble for readers who appreciate intricate storytelling laced with darkness and psychological depth." Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer blog

About the Author

Joyce Carol Oates is the author of more than 70 books, including novels, short story collections, poetry volumes, plays, essays, and criticism, including the national bestsellers We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde. Among her many honors are the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and the National Book Award. Oates is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University, and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978.