The Architect

by John Katzenbach

From #1 internationally bestselling author John Katzenbach comes this pulse-pounding thriller that proves there’s nothing more dangerous than digging up secrets from your own family’s past.

“Remember what your name means. I’m so sorry.”

Just two weeks before her final architecture exams, Sloane Connolly receives this cryptic handwritten note from her estranged mother. When her calls go unanswered, Sloane returns to her hometown in northwest Massachusetts to discover that her mother has vanished. A thorough search turns up no trace of her—and the police are ultimately forced to give up and rule her disappearance a suicide.

As Sloane deals with the aftermath, she distracts herself by taking on a mysterious to design a memorial for six strangers whose connection to her anonymous client—known to her only as The Employer—is deliberately kept in the dark. To complete this project, Sloane must trace the lives of all six individuals and uncover the hidden links between them. With the promise of a multimillion-dollar payday and a prestigious jump start to her career, it’s an opportunity too important to pass up.

But as the trail pulls her from Maine to Miami, Sloane begins to realize that the memorial is far more than just an academic exercise. The secrets she uncovers begin to weave dangerously into her own family’s tragic history, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew—and to discover for herself just how far she’s willing to go to survive.

1 pages, Audio CD

Expected publication May 26, 2026

About the author

John Katzenbach is a U.S. author of popular fiction. Son of Nicholas Katzenbach, former United States Attorney General, John worked as a criminal court reporter for the Miami Herald and Miami News, and a featured writer for the Herald’s Tropic magazine. He is married to Madeleine Blais and they live in western Massachusetts.

He left the newspaper grind to write books, racking up 12 novels so far, psychological thrillers that have made him an international success. His first, 1982's bestselling *In the Heat of the Summer, became the movie *The Mean Season , filmed partially in The Herald's newsroom ans starring Kurt Russell and MAriel Hemingway.

Two more of his books were made into films in the United States, 1995's *Just Cause and 2002's *Hart's War. A fourth book, *The Wrong Man was recently made into the soon-to-be-released French film Faux Coupable.

Reviews

[Gatorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather disappointing effort from Katzenbach, who has long been a favorite author of mine. This thriller is pretty short on thrills, with cliched characters and dialogue and a tedious plot that never really goes anywhere interesting. The main character, Sloane, talks and thinks in very odd ways, not always readily responding to the situation in front of her but instead acting like she's in a different book. The ending is underwhelming considering the book is over 500 pages long. Hard to believe this is the same Katzenbach who wrote Hart's War, Just Cause and several other classics. Seems like he's dumbing down his books now to perhaps reach a broader audience. I DNF'd his last one, so i guess it's an improvement. Had its moments here and there but not enough to be able to recommend. Thanks to the publisher through Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cheryl Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Architect by John Katzenbach is a highly creative thriller that grabbed my attention right from the start. Sloane, a soon-to-be architecture graduate, is dealing with the mysterious disappearance of her mother when she’s offered a lucrative job to design a memorial for six people. The catch? The client insists on remaining anonymous, communicating only through an attorney.

As Sloane begins researching the six individuals, she discovers they all died under strange or violent circumstances. It soon becomes clear that there’s more to this project than meets the eye—and that it could be dangerous.

The story is filled with surprising twists and kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the very end.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so much admiration for John Katzenbach and his ability to really set up a book so that you absolutely must keep reading. From the first pages, I was totally hooked. Fair warning: Do not start reading this book in the evening because you're in for a late night.
The book has multiple twists and turns and it is indeed like gathering the pieces of a puzzle that someone randomly threw pieces all around the house. I found the ending to be oddly satisfying, though some readers will have trouble getting there. If you need an escape from the current reality, this is your book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's a winner. And I'm not the least bit surprised.

[Howard Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Architect is a mildly interesting book about a female about to graduate from college with an award who becomes unwittingly involved with the death of her mother, an ex boyfriend who is stalking her and an unusual job offer thrust upon her. The first half of the book is compelling reading; but, suddenly, there is a shift and the remainder of the book is somewhat ludicrous and overly lengthy with a completely unexpected and unsatisfying conclusion. I thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would read anything if John Katzenbach wrote it, and this novel did not disappoint: in classic Katzenbach fashion, the reader is plunged sideways into an unputdownable premise that feels oh so familiar, yet totally original. Sloane is dealing with all sorts of new dilemmas: her reclusive mother has disappeared, her former boyfriend doesn't accept that he's a former, and she's offered a dream first job as an about-to-be architect. The way that these story threads come together is classic-Katzenbach and so surprising and utterly addictive. #BlackstonePublishing #Netgalley

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Katzenbach is a wonderful thriller writer and this, his latest effort is well up to standard. The plot is original and twisty and you are drawn in from the beginning and i finished the book in a couple of days before regretting that I should have taken more time to savour it.

The characters are credible and well drawn and this is quite simply top quality literary fiction masquerading as a thriller.

Highly recommended.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author uses the term “maze “ a lot throughout this book, and that is exactly what you find yourself traveling through as you navigate this story. This is a thriller, yes, but with enough psychological twists to make you pull your hair out. If I have one criticism I felt the book a little long, but don’t let that discourage you. The ending alone is well worth the read. And the bad guy…..oh my.

This book is due to be released in May, 2026. Highly recommended!

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Architect by author John Katzenbach is a uniquely imaginative thriller that will create new fans for this wonderfully talented author I have followed faithfully throughout the years.

In the Architect, Sloane, an architectural student close to graduating, receives an unbelievably generous offer (from a mysterious benefactor) to create a unique memorial for a group of individuals. With little guidance, Sloane embarks on a multi-state adventure to discover more about the people she is tasked with memorializing and things take a VERY unexpected turn (one of many in this book).

I read hundreds of books a year, and this one is a standout; just when you start to think it's all written before,
you read something that is shockingly original - this is such a book.