Second Nature - by Joyce Carol Oates (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Obsession and depravity shatter suburban life and academia in this compelling double dose of psychological suspense, pairing two complete novels and two rare short stories, from six-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Joyce Carol Oates. Perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Donna Tartt.

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 model suburban husband grows obsessed with a beautiful stranger in DOUBLE DELIGHT, while an eminent professor preys on a vulnerable student in NEMESIS - and the echoes continue in the rare short stories "A Girl Worth Twenty Million" and "First Death."

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

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.