Twisted River

Evocative and richly detailed...A page-turning mystery about the tragic consequences that result when the tightly held secrets of two families collide.

Twisted River is a superb thriller-gripping, surprising, and terrifically rewarding.

MacDonald's dark and twisted tale...will change the way you look at Ireland forever

Dark and intriguing...MacDonald['s] strong writing accentuates pertinent details, and her vivid descriptions will have readers feeling the suspense throughout the story.

MacDonald writes with the confidence of an experienced author and throws in enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing right up until the finale.

Four narrators capture the changing points of view across the chapters. Such a broad cast is a smart choice for characters who are a mix of American and Irish nationalities. Together, the narrators create an authentic listening experience for the action set in Ireland as well as illuminating the world of Hazel, an Irish woman living in America. The listener is riveted as the story changes from one point of view to another, driving the action forward. We wonder if the next half-truth will be the one that unhinges the appearance of calm. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.

A skillfully wrought thriller that exposes the dangers of secrecy.

MacDonald toys with the reader, leading right then feinting left with plot twists that genuinely surprise. Infidelity, deception, revenge, and murder all come into play, but the big thrill here is the constant undermining of assumptions.

This is a cracking read, brimful of all-too-believable characterization, skillfully executed tension, and narrative sleights of hand.

A gripping debut psychological thriller for fans of The Silent Wife and The Wicked Girls about two families in crisis and a holiday house swap gone terribly wrong

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 autistic 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 she's convinced her luck is 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.