The Quiet Child - by John Burley (Paperback)

About the Book

"It's the summer of 1954 and the residents of Cottonwood, California, are dying. At the center of it all is six-year-old Danny McCray, a strange and silent child the townspeople regard with fear and superstition, and who appears to bring ruin to those around him. Even his own mother is plagued by an illness that is slowly consuming her. Sheriff Jim Kent has stood by and watched the people of his town suffer, increasingly aware of the whispers and rumors surrounding the boy--and he worries someone might take drastic action to protect their loved ones"--

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy, comes a gripping and darkly psychological novel about family, suspicion, and the price we are willing to pay to protect those we love the most.

It's the summer of 1954, and the residents of Cottonwood, California, are dying. At the center of it all is six-year-old Danny McCray, a strange and silent child the townspeople regard with fear and superstition, and who appears to bring illness and ruin to those around him. Even his own mother is plagued by a disease that is slowly consuming her.

Sheriff Jim Kent, increasingly aware of the whispers and rumors surrounding the boy, has watched the people of his town suffer--and he worries someone might take drastic action to protect their loved ones. Then a stranger arrives, and Danny and his ten-year-old brother, Sean, go missing. In the search that follows, everyone is a suspect, and the consequences of finding the two brothers may be worse than not finding them at all.

From the Back Cover

From the award-winning author of The Absence of Mercy comes a gripping and darkly psychological novel about family, suspicion, and the price we are willing to pay to protect those we love the most

It's the summer of 1954, and the residents of Cottonwood, California, are dying. At the center of it all is six-year-old Danny McCray, a strange and silent child the townspeople regard with fear and superstition, who appears to bring illness and ruin to those around him. Even his own mother is plagued by a disease that is slowly consuming her.

Sheriff Jim Kent, increasingly aware of the whispers and rumors surrounding the boy, has watched the people of his town suffer, and he worries someone might take drastic action to protect their loved ones. Then a stranger arrives, and Danny and his ten-year-old brother, Sean, go missing. In the search that follows, everyone is a suspect, and the consequences of finding the two brothers may be worse than not finding them at all.

Review Quotes

"Burley never lets the tension lag as he keeps the suspense high . . . with myriad jaw-dropping twists." - Associated Press
"Will send chills down your spine. A taut psychological thriller, The Absence of Mercy delves into the hearts and minds of a variety of characters in a small Ohio town, and pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the lengths a parent will go to protect their child." - Alice LaPlante, New York Times bestselling author of Turn of Mind
"A beautifully realized thriller, full of striking imagery, and so haunting I thought about it for days afterward. It starts with a parent's greatest nightmare--your children being abducted--and then asks: What might make you question whether you wanted them back? John Burley is a fearless talent.' - Glen Erik Hamilton, award-winning author of Past Crimes and Hard Cold Winter
"Eerie, troubling, and masterfully written, The Quiet Child is a captivating synthesis of classic suspense and the supernatural. Burley is a writer who understands the bonds of family and knows how to keep the reader in suspense until the last page." - Christine Carbo, author of The Weight of Night
"A riveting novel that engages both heart and mind. John Burley has an eye for detail, a feel for story, and a deep sympathy for his characters." - Lou Berney, award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone
"Packed with tension and unexpected twists, The Quiet Child is a powerful psychological thriller set in a time before the emergence of forensic science." - Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author of Speaking in Bones
"In the tradition of Robin Cook and Kathy Reichs, John Burley brings murder to small town America. And like those bestselling novels, The Absence of Mercy is written by an expert who can also tell a really good tale. This one oozes authenticity." - Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author of Robert B. Parker's Wonderland
Praise for The Absence of Mercy: "It's become a cliché to say you read a book in one sitting, and it's not true here. I had to get up in the middle of The Absence of Mercy for a drink to calm my nerves." - Linwood Barclay, New York Times bestselling author of Never Look Away
"[An] impressive psychological thriller . . . Burley, himself a physician, renders the manifestations of psychological illness in such a way that both Lise and the reader must confront the terrifying nature of reality itself." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Forgetting Place
Praise for The Forgetting Place: "The Forgetting Place is a deep dive into the darkest recesses of the human psyche. John Burley's deftly written and briskly plotted story unsettles as he guides us through the twisting and labyrinthine corridors of mental illness, where the ground rumbles beneath our feet and surprises wait at every turn." - Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love You