Twisted River

by Siobhán MacDonald

“She would never have fit as neatly into the trunk of his own car.” Limerick, Ireland: the O’Brien family’s driveway. American Oscar Harvey opens the trunk of his hosts’ car and finds the body of a woman, beaten and bloody. But let’s start at the beginning.

Kate and Mannix O’Brien live by Curragower Falls in Limerick, in a lovely house they can barely afford. Their son Fergus is bullied at school, and their daughter Izzy blames herself, wishing she could protect him. Kate decides that her family needs a vacation, and is convinced her luck’s about to change when she spots a gorgeous Manhattan apartment on a home-exchange website.

Hazel and Oscar Harvey and their two children live on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Though they seem successful and happy, Hazel has mysterious bruises, and Oscar is hiding things about his dental practice. They, too, need a change of pace. Hazel has always wanted her children to see her native Limerick, and the house swap offers a perfect chance to soothe two troubled marriages. But this will be anything but a perfect vacation. And the body in the trunk is just the beginning.

Audiobook

First published September 30, 2014

About the author

Siobhán studied electronic engineering at National University of Ireland Galway and had a successful career writing for the technology sector in Scotland, France and Ireland. A plot-aholic, Siobhán now spends her time writing crime and thriller novels.

She published her first novel in 2016, the widely acclaimed TWISTED RIVER. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE - 'Her terrific debut novel, Twisted River, could hardly be more steeped in classic American pulp. MacDonald develops her twin stories with masterly control of mood and scene.' THE TORONTO STAR - 'In a remarkable debut novel, MacDonald keeps the reader riveted'. KIRKUS REVIEWS - 'MacDonald toys with the reader, leading right then feinting left with plot twists that genuinely surprise. The big thrill here is the constant undermining of assumptions.' Author Kimberly McCreight - 'Evocative and richly detailed, Twisted River is a page-turning mystery about the tragic consequences that result when the tightly held secrets of two families collide.' INSTYLE MAGAZINE - 'This gripping novel commands your attention from the very beginning ... a property swap fraught with problems. Expect to finish this one seriously debating your next Airbnb reservation.' CHRIS PAVONE, NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author – ‘Twisted River is a superb thriller – gripping, surprising, and terrifically rewarding.’ RT BOOK REVIEWS – ‘Dark and intriguing… MacDonald's strong writing accentuates pertinent details, and her vivid descriptions will have readers feeling the suspense throughout the story.’

Siobhán followed up this success with her second novel THE BLUE POOL, a thriller described as an 'ingenious and unpredictable psychological thriller ... a mesmerising exploration of loyalty, friendship, and the corrosive effects of guilt'. CRIME REVIEW - 'Similar to TWISTED RIVER, in that she achieves fantastic levels of tension. THE BLUE POOL is an intense read that you will want to devour as quickly as possible.'

GUILTY had its Irish début in 2020 to equal praise. THE IRISH TIMES - 'This is a terrifically dark, twisty thriller, skilfully plotted and stylishly written.' THE IRISH EXAMINER - 'Page turner guilty of a gripping story. You could choke on the delicious venality & hypocrisy. Just one of the creepy thrills in this page turner.' THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT - 'GUILTY is a classy and cleverly plotted psychological thriller that grips from page one, packed with well-drawn characters and delivering an absolute zinger of a twist in the tale in the final pages.' RTE GUIDE - 'GUILTY is a twisty tale of ruthless ambition, family dysfunction and cold-blooded vengeance.'

The Bride Collector published on 29 July 2021 and is being well-received. Declan Hughes of THE IRISH TIMES says, “MacDonald builds the action to a spectacularly creepy climax and there is a spectacularly worked twist to follow that will take your breath away”. Dymphna Nugent of THE WATERFORD STAR says, “A gripping sinister novel, where a serial killer in a small Kerry town targets brides-to-be. Fast-paced, engaging, and terrifying.” Mairead Hearne, SWIRL AND THREAD Book reviewer says, “An engrossing read with some very unexpected twists.”

She is published in the UK & Ireland by Little Brown, in the US and Canada by Viking Penguin, in France by Archipel and in Germany by Piper. Siobhan lives in Ireland with her husband and two sons. Twitter @SiobhanMMacD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siobhan.m.m... Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SiobhanMacDo...