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About The Book

In this chilling debut thriller, in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr. Ripley, a family man obsessed with digging up the undiscovered remains of serial killer victims catches the attention of a murderer prowling the streets of Seattle.

Martin Reese is obsessed with murder.

For years, he has been illegally buying police files on serial killers and studying them in depth, using them as guides to find missing bodies. He doesn’t take any souvenirs, just photos that he stores in an old laptop, and then he turns in the results to the police anonymously. Martin sees his work as a public service, a righting of wrongs that cops have continuously failed to do.

Detective Sandra Whittal sees it differently. On a meteoric rise in police ranks due to her case-closing efficiency, Whittal is suspicious of the mysterious caller—the Finder, she names him—leading the police to the bodies. Even if the Finder isn’t the one leaving bodies behind, who’s to say that he won’t start soon?

On his latest dig, Martin searches for the first kill of Jason Shurn, the early 1990s murderer who may have been responsible for the disappearance of his sister-in-law, whom he never met. But when he arrives at the site, he finds a freshly killed body—a young and recently disappeared Seattle woman—lying among remains that were left there decades ago. Someone else knew where Jason Shurn buried his victims . . . and that someone isn’t happy that Martin has been going around digging up his work.

When a crooked cop with a tenuous tie to Martin vanishes, Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder. Hunted by a real killer and by Whittal, Martin realizes that in order to escape the killer’s trap, he may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever thought.

About The Author

Ian Patterson

Nathan Ripley is the pseudonym of Toronto resident and Journey Prize winner Naben Ruthnum. Find You in the Dark, Ripley’s first thriller, was an instant bestseller and an Arthur Ellis Awards finalist for Best First Novel. As Naben Ruthnum, he is the author of Curry: Eating, Reading, and Race. Follow him on Twitter @NabenRuthnum.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 6, 2018)
  • Length: 368 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781501179075

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Raves and Reviews

Praise for Find You in the Dark

Shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Awards

“A well-crafted crime novel that proves utterly absorbing. . . . with vivid scenes and complex psychology, Find You in the Dark lingers long after the last page has been devoured. And Ripley proves a stellar addition to the Canadian crime novel scene. An addictive debut.”

– Toronto Star

“Engrossing. . . . This debut thriller by the pseudonymous Ripley (Journey Prize winner Naben Ruthnum) is highly recommended for fans of Lee Child and C.J. Box.”

– Library Journal

“Ripley’s debut offers a twist on the typical serial-killer story. . . . A unique spin with just enough creepy details to keep suspense readers interested.”

– Booklist

“A fast-paced book . . . akin to dark British crime TV dramas such as Broadchurch or Luther, satisfyingly sinister and unsettling in their explorations of the violent possibilities of humanity.”

– The Globe and Mail

“Ripley . . . has come up with a fresh angle to the serial murder game. . . . Clever and diabolical . . . this unusual debut thriller has a lot going for it.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“[A] gripping debut thriller. . . . Dexter fans will enjoy the creepy vibe.”

– Publishers Weekly

“A fast-paced, morbidly addictive novel of chilling infatuation. Ripley’s impressive debut is a rich and innovative thriller.”

– Iain Reid, bestselling author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things

“A wickedly smart thriller that manages to be both chilling and wry. The page-turning plot . . . is thickened by a great cast of characters and Nathan Ripley’s fantastic eye for detail and dialogue. Just when you think you’ve got a grasp on it, the story twists to new and darker places.”

– Amy Stuart, bestselling author of Still Mine

“It’s not always easy diving into the mind of an obsessive protagonist, but Martin Reese’s fixation on finding dead bodies makes for one heck of an addictive thriller. Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley is an original, inventive take on what happens when you go looking where you shouldn’t. Start reading early in the day, or you’ll be up all night like I was! A standout debut novel.”

– Jennifer Hillier, author of Jar of Hearts and Wonderland

“An unsettling exploration of obsession you won’t soon forget. Nathan Ripley delivers a first novel that fans of Patricia Highsmith psychological thrills and Thomas Harris cat-and-mouse suspense will devour. I certainly did.”

– Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist and The Only Child

“Crafty and dark, Nathan Ripley’s novel toys with the lines between predator and prey, his sentences as careful and considered as the crimes he depicts. Ripley is a truly exciting new voice in the thriller world.”

– Roz Nay, bestselling author of Our Little Secret

"Dark and disturbing, Find You in the Dark is a thriller that defies expectations, sporting an original premise and a truly unreliable protagonist."

– Mystery Scene

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