The Hanging Tree

Secrets are easy to keep in a small town - especially one that has an awful lot to hide . . .

Wild girl Gracie McBride fled her hometown Starvation Lake eighteen years ago. When she is found dead from an apparent suicide, shortly after her triumphant return, Gus Carpenter, editor of the local paper, is deeply suspicious. What happened in the years she was away from home? Why did she return? And why is no one else asking questions?

In a small town it is impossible to be impartial - everyone knows everyone - and they're all keeping quiet. To discover anything, Gus needs to retrace Gracie's steps, forcing him to return to Detroit, the scene of his humiliating past. But as he gets to know the real Gracie, he realises he is completely unprepared for the secrets he stumbles upon . . .

The second novel in Bryan Gruley's award-winning Starvation Lake series, The Hanging Tree is utterly gripping.