The Beautiful Burn - by Ken Jaworowski (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"If you haven't read Jaworowski yet, you should start right now."--Lisa Scottoline

Edgar Award nominee Ken Jaworowski delivers a gripping thriller set in a forgotten Rust Belt town about three ordinary people who must each face the past they fled--or risk watching their dreams burn

Locksburg, PA--a small town left behind by the world, filled with people just trying to survive.

Jamie fled home when he was a teenager after a crime born of good intentions went horribly wrong. When his brother winds up in danger, Jamie finds himself driving back to a place he swore he'd never see again, even though returning might end with a bullet to the chest or a long sentence in a cell.

Sandra's an eighty-four-year-old resident at Hillview Living Center, and she's never felt more stuck. But when an old flame checks in, the two of them can't help but reminisce about the mischief of days gone by. All too aware of her ticking clock, Sandra plans their escape.

Father Marc is the newest priest assigned to the Locksburg church, where he oversees a parish of people slowly losing faith. Which makes sense to him, since he doesn't believe in God. When a young girl gives a troubling confession, Marc must weigh his vow of silence against speaking up to save the child's life.

As the three strangers' lives begin to collide, they are forced to make a choice: confront the fears they've spent years burying or let the life they want go up in flames. With razor-sharp twists and heartfelt moments, The Beautiful Burn builds to a finale that lingers long after the final page.

Review Quotes

Praise for What About the Bodies:

"I gulped every word down, surrendering to the propulsive pace as the narrative grew unbearably tense. What About the Bodies leaves a lasting mark."--Sarah Weinman, The New York Times

"With clear, spare prose and an ensemble of swiftly, vividly drawn characters, Ken Jaworowski conjures a twisty, chilling, and even touching tale in what promises to be a meaningful career."--Dean Koontz, bestselling author of Watchers

"Ken Jaworowski's new thriller What About the Bodies is the moving as well as unputdownable story of a struggling single mom, an autistic young man, and a singer about to get her big break. These characters resonate with heart as they face the most dangerous times of their lives, eventually colliding in a riveting plot that twists and turns its way through gritty, small-town Pennsylvania. If you haven't read Jaworowski yet, you should start right now."--Lisa Scottoline, author of The Truth About the Devlins

"Gritty and atmospheric, What About the Bodies, is the harrowing tale of three intersecting lives, each faced with a choice of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Jaworowski writes with vigor and swagger. This is crime fiction at its best."--Alex Finlay, bestselling author of Parents Weekend

"Knife-edged heartbreaking noir, a total-immersion thriller, and an absolute master class in voice! The suffocating constraints of gritty small-town life--and the intense high-stakes struggles for personal survival--will captivate you from page one. This is a relentlessly powerful exploration of inevitability, loyalty, and the grasping hope of redemption. What About the Bodies is a complete triumph from a fiercely skilled storyteller."--Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The Other Woman

"Life isn't fair, and nowhere is that truer than in Locksburg, Pennsylvania, a struggling Rust Belt town . . . As bad luck and bad breaks continue to plague the three well-meaning protagonists, Jaworowski steadily ups the stakes at pitch-perfect thriller pace . . . A gripping, heartbreaking, wild ride."--Susan Maguire, Booklist (starred review)

"Intense . . . As Jaworowski's desperate, three-dimensional characters cross paths and teeter on the edge of destruction, the author raises powerful questions about poverty, fate, and the ties that bind . . . This is a remarkably accomplished neo-noir."--Publishers Weekly

"This is Ken Jaworowski's second novel, and, as good as his first one was, this one is even better . . . Are there dead bodies? Of course. But there is also humor, soul, and the kind of ending that allows you to imagine the rest any way you like."--Jim Kelly, Air Mail

"These all-too-realistic lives collide in a memorably character-driven story whose dialog--especially that of Liz--will make readers laugh even as they despair that anything can ever go right in Locksburg. Plenty of readers love a small-town thriller and this one's just the ticket."--Henrietta Thornton, firstClue

"Propulsive and gritty, but also tender and big-hearted. What About the Bodies confirms Ken Jaworowski's dexterity in penning stories that are not only impossible to put down but also sweeping in their significance."--Jahmal Mayfield, author of Smoke Kings

"What About the Bodies is a gritty Rust Belt crime novel of surprising tenderness. Following unlikely heroes battling monsters hiding in plain sight where the hope of escape, of freedom, of justice, is always just beyond their reach to an unexpected and moving conclusion. Jaworowski writes with great empathy about desperate and often neglected people, and the result is a fresh and modern thriller with heart."--Meagan Lucas, Anthony-nominated author of Here in the Dark

"Oozing with empathy and simmering with suspense, What About the Bodies is a stellar follow-up to Ken Jaworowski's classic Small Town Sins . . . Once again, you'll be so immersed in the plight of everyday characters that you'll be surprised to find you're reading words on a page and not, in fact, driving down a dark road with your life at stake . . . Equal parts thrilling, haunting, and terrifying, What About the Bodies is a complete winner."--Mark Stevens, author of No Lie Lasts Forever

About the Author

Ken Jaworowski is an editor at The New York Times and the author of What About the Bodies and Small Town Sins, which received an Edgar Award nomination for Best Debut Novel. He graduated from Shippensburg University and the University of Pennsylvania. He grew up in Philadelphia, where he was an amateur boxer, and has had plays produced in New York and Europe. He lives in New Jersey with his family.