Fall from Grace - (David Raker Mystery) by Tim Weaver (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

International bestselling author Tim Weaver returns with his next David Raker mystery, a high-stakes search for a recently retired detective who vanishes from his own home

After decades of service, Leonard Franks has stepped down from the Metropolitan Police as a high-ranking detective in the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. He and his wife, Ellie, have retired to a farmhouse in the seclusion of the English countryside, far from the clamor of London. Everything goes just as they've imagined, until the night Leonard leaves the house to fetch firewood--and never returns.

With the police investigation at a dead end nine months later, Leonard's daughter, a detective herself, turns in desperation to David Raker, a missing persons investigator with a gift for finding the lost. But nothing can prepare Raker for what he's about to find--or for the devastating secret behind this disappearance. And by the time he realizes what it is, and how deep the lies go, he finds himself in serious danger--along with everyone he cares about.

Raker's action-packed investigation takes readers on a richly atmospheric thrill ride, from the seedy backstreets of London and the stark quiet of the Devon countryside to the sinister hallways of an abandoned mental institution. In Fall from Grace, Weaver has delivered another sharp, emotionally charged mystery that saves its most startling revelations for the final pages.

Review Quotes

"A genuine puzzle . . . Weaver's shapely narrative plays fair with the grim facts, while maintaining a level of dread that properly suits the moody setting."
--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

"Fantastic . . . Family secrets and past cases intertwine in Weaver's intricate flashback-filled narrative in this twisty page-turner."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Reminiscent of Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island . . . With his assured voice and strong sense of place, Weaver rewards our patience."
--Chicago Tribune

"An unforgettable book . . . Tim Weaver has set up readers to go on a very riveting quest and saves the best for last, with many astounding disclosures wrapped up in the end pages. For those who want a mind-boggling tale filled with action, adventure, mystery, and chills, this book is a must-read."
--Suspense

"Fall from Grace reads like a puzzle, and my brain worked overtime as each piece was revealed, but I still didn't see the whole picture until the very end--a credit to Tim Weaver's ability to craft a clever plot. . . . While packed with action and some last-minute surprises, this story's greater strength lies in its understanding of relationships, and the harm that can happen when someone you once put on a pedestal finally takes a fall."
--Mystery Scene

"A deeply felt, un-put-downable thriller. . . . All the plotlines Weaver has launched do indeed fit together, and the monstrous pattern that emerges is as devastating as in any of Ross Macdonald's nightmares."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Weaver continually keeps readers guessing while skillfully managing to tie together seemingly unrelated people and events. . . . Fall from Grace will have readers clamoring for more."
--Library Journal

"Raker's persistence uncovers some disturbing secrets and puts him in chillingly depicted peril. The bits we learn about why people go missing and what kinds of tracks they might leave are fascinating. An exciting puzzle, given added depth by Raker's complicated character."
--Booklist

"Affecting . . . As Raker presciently observes at the beginning of this dark journey, 'Everyone wanted the truth until they got it.'"
--Publishers Weekly

Praise for Tim Weaver's David Raker Mysteries

"Weaver's books get better each time--tense, complex . . . written with flair as well as care."
--The Guardian

"Weaver has become one of this country's most respected, bestselling crime writers, and he fully deserves to be. . . . Catch him at once."
--Daily Mail

"Impressive . . . A lacerating investigation that takes readers into the furthest reaches of obsession. A dark, complex, and visceral read."
--Financial Times

"Weaver knows how to construct a complex plot. . . . You will be kept guessing until the last few pages. David Raker has joined a select band of fictional characters whose return in a new book excites existing fans and collects new ones with every publication."
--Crime Fiction Lover

About the Author

Tim Weaver is the international bestselling author of a series of mysteries featuring private investigator David Raker. He made his American debut with Never Coming Back, which was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club and nominated for a National Book Award in the UK, and in 2015 he was longlisted for the prestigious Dagger in the Library Award from the Crime Writers' Association. Weaver is also the host of the popular podcast Missing, about how people disappear and how investigators search for them. A former journalist and magazine editor, he now writes fiction full time and lives with his wife and daughter in Bath, England.