Twentymile
C. Matthew Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
4.33
· 6 ratings · 328 pages · Published: 19 Nov 2021
Tsula’s investigation will lead her deep into the park and face-to-face with a group of lethal men on a mission to reclaim a historic homestead. The encounter will irretrievably alter the lives of all involved and leave Tsula fighting for survival – not only from those who would do her harm, but from a looming winter storm that could prove just as deadly.
A finely crafted literary thriller, Twentymile delivers a propulsive story of long-held grievances, new hopes, and the contentious history of the land at its heart.
PRAISE FOR TWENTYMILE:
"Twentymile is packed with everything I love: A strong, female character; a wilderness setting; gripping storytelling; masterful writing. . . I loved every word. A beautiful and brutal and extraordinary debut."
--Diane Les Becquets, bestselling author of Breaking Wild and The Last Woman in the Forest
"Original, intelligent. . . Twentymile is an accomplished first novel from a talented and fully-formed writer."
--James McLaughlin, Edgar Award winning author of Bearskin
"In C. Matthew Smith’s engrossing novel Twentymile, a park service biologist turns up dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and discord regarding annexed land fuels a treacherous chase....a disturbing, potent thriller about ownership and trespassing, as well as unrealized dreams and aggression."
--Karen Rigby, Foreword Reviews
“Twentymile is a moody, atmospheric tale of family, vengeance, and anger too-long held, all set in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Ultimately, it is the story of reaching for- discovering and recovering- home, and how such a complicated yearning can play out on both sides of the law."
--Steph Post, author of Miraculum, Lightwood, and A Tree Born Crooked
"Smith’s spellbinding debut takes readers on a murderous journey through the backwoods of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. . . A thrilling and evocative tale."
--Scott Graham, National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of Canyonlands Carnage
"A highly enjoyable read suited best to those who like their thrillers to simmer for awhile before erupting in a blizzard of action and unpredictability with a future promise of grander adventures."
--Kashif Hussain, Best Thriller Books
"C. Matthew Smith's gripping tale centers around the history of our public lands and the people who use and protect them. Twentymile is a tremendously entertaining first novel from a writer who knows how to spin a good yarn."
--Rob Phillips, bestselling author of The Cascade Killer, Cascade Vengeance, and Cascade Predator