Those Empty Eyes: Sneak Peek

by Charlie Donlea

Special Extended Excerpt Sneak Peek!You know her name.You know her face.You know those eyes...Be one of the first to read this sneak peek of the latest thrilling novel by the author of Twenty Years Later. Ten years after she was exonerated for the slaughter of her family, the girl the tabloids called “Empty Eyes” is the only one looking for the truth in this propulsive thriller from #1 internationally bestselling author Charlie Donlea."Charlie Donlea weaves together seemingly separate mysteries in smart and completely unexpected ways, proving his finesse as a writer. Those Empty Eyes draws readers in from the first heart-stopping pages and doesn't let go until the end." —MARY KUBICA, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman MissingAlex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation. It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister. Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children. Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister no one is quite who they seem to be . . .

Genres: Thriller

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Charlie Donlea is the USA TODAY, IndieBound, and #1 Internationally bestselling author of critically acclaimed, propulsive thrillers including THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, DON'T BELIEVE IT, TWENTY YEARS LATER, and THOSE EMPTY EYES. His ninth thriller, GUESS AGAIN, is out now.

Published in 40 countries and translated into twenty-five languages, his books have sold nearly 3 million copies in the U.S. alone.

He spends a part of each year fishing with his father in the far reaches of Canada, where the roads end and lakes are accessible only by floatplane. These majestic trips to “God’s Country” inspired the settings for his novels Summit Lake and GUESS AGAIN, coming in August 2025.

He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. Overall, it was a really good read. I especially enjoyed the commentary on armchair detectives and how the media can jump to a quick conclusion that can destroy lives. It was a bit jarring to see the impact it had on the main character and how a single news headline disrupted her future maybe even as much as the murder of her own family.

Giving it 4 stars because while I enjoyed the book immensely, at times it felt like too many different plot lines, even if they ultimately converged. It was a lot to keep track of. Also, while the final 'twist' on the last page ultimately made sense, I needed more explanation and another page or two tying it all together.

[Monica Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was all over the place in the best way! Saw my pal Khloe read this book, so I had to read this book!! Glad i did!

[Jenny Thiltgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling page turner! First time reader of this author and look forward to many more of his books.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one. While I enjoyed the story I ended up figuring out the ending early on so it wasn’t as shocking to me. The story did have a lot of characters and it was hard to follow at times. Towards the middle end the story’s do start to come together and for that I do think it’s worth the read.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn on this book. Three stars is a generous review only because the ending and some fast and furious twists in the book. I found it to be a slow read, too many characters to follow and, at times, boring. Not one of my favorites of Charlie Donlea.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say that normally I can read books in a couple days. This one how ever I was reading since January. There is a lot of details and characters which became a little much for me however I held out because all of the praise and hype this book received.

The ending does not disappoint!! I had to wait till about page 300 for everything to start making sense and enjoy the book. Donlea did an excellent job circling the story and characters back to the beginning so much so I want to read it again to make more connections. I think this book would make a terrific movie.

Don’t give up if you get stuck like I did the twist are all worth it.

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a very good book for how high the ratings were. I did not agree with a lot of other readers apparently. The beginning was good I got into the book quick with the tragic murders of Alex's family members. But then after that I lost interest fast, way to many switching up of characters and I lost track of who is who and so forth. The end as well was very good I did not expect Garrett to be the helper of Jaqueline! So that was def the best part of the book. I hope the other books are better.

[Latonja F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie knows how to make a story come full circle. No epilogue needed! He knows exactly how to close a loop and keep your jaw on the floor. TRUE page turner. Every time you think you’ve figured out who’s who and what happened, he flips the script in such a clever way. I’ll be looking for more books from this author.

[Monica Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful kept my attention.

[Brittany Homer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has you guessing up until the very last sentence!!

[Janel Ziegler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning and kept me there until the very end. I will definitely be reading more of Charlie Donlea's work!

[Dee]

Duplicate

[Suprina Bracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this book was so good. I was shocked to say the least. But the ending....whew!!!
A must read.
Can't wait to read more by Charlie Donlea :)

[Malorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF… I lost interest. Slow paced thriller that is so complicated with so many characters and subplots. I have a love/hate with Donlea’s writing style and this one just didn’t hit with me.

[Jan Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprises around every corner!

[Susan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[Nancy McCurdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read...

[Kimmy T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected ending to this easy to read thriller!

[Tammy Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read. highly recommend

[Helen Ploetz Stanskas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Tracy Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donlea weaves a good story Lots of twists and ending that was definitely not expected. Enjoyed this one

[Margie Benfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyline. Relates to real newsworthy current events. Predicting a movie from this one!
On to my next Charlie Donlea book!! 🖤

[Shelley White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading ‘Those Empty Eyes’ by Charlie Donlea. Best book I have read in ages. It keeps you on your toes trying to guess the next step. Right up to the last pages, you are thrown more twists and turns. I am going to try and find more by this author!!