Find You in the Dark

Book excerpt: A chilling debut thriller in the vein of Dexter and The Talented Mr Ripley. Martin Reese has a hobby: he digs up murder victims. He buys stolen police files on serial killers, and uses them to find and dig up missing bodies. Calls in the results anonymously, taunting the police for their failure to do their job. Detective Sandra Whittal takes that a little personally. She’s suspicious of the mysterious caller, who she names the Finder. Maybe he’s the one leaving the bodies behind. If not, who’s to say he won’t start soon? As Whittal begins to zero in on the Finder, Martin makes a shocking discovery. It seems someone—someone lethal—is very unhappy about the bodies he’s been digging up. Hunted by a cop, hunted by a killer. To escape and keep his family safe, Martin may have to go deeper into the world of murder than he ever imagined. Nathan Ripley is the pseudonym of Naben Ruthnum, a winner of Canada’s prestigious Journey Prize for best short story published by an emerging writer. He lives in Toronto. ‘[Ripley’s] tight prose and masterly manipulation pay dividends.’ SAWeekend ‘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.’ Jennifer Hillier, author of Jar of Hearts and Wonderland ‘Detective Sandra Whittal is inspirational in her single-minded focus and toughness...Ripley’s dialogue shines.’ Abbey’s Bookshop ‘Chillingly believable...An impressive debut novel.’ BookMooch ‘The overall story depicting a murderer’s manipulation and depravity is engrossing.’ Library Journal ‘An absorbing read.’ Good Reading ‘A deeply disturbing read, with vivid scenes and complex psychology, Find You in the Dark lingers long after the last page has been devoured...An addictive debut.’ Toronto Star ‘Well planned and executed, Nathan Ripley brings a unique and fresh voice to the crime thriller genre.’ Real Book Spy ‘...a chilling and disquieting debut thriller...You’ll stay up all night with this one.’ Criminal Element ‘A fun, yet disturbing, work.’ Medium ‘Dexter fans will enjoy the creepy vibe.’ Publishers Weekly ‘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 ‘This is a novel with a most unique premise...Find You in the Dark is a well-written, if sometimes gruesome tale of one man’s determination...It’s a chilling story of a man who could’ve conceivably become a serial killer pitted against one who actually is.’ New York Journal of Books ‘Massively entertaining, with a lovely dollop of weirdness...Delicious.’ Northern Crime