Series: A Faulkner Family Thriller #2
ISBN: 978-1639100828
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: 08/09/2022
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
She’s a weapon forged in the fires of her past—but this time, the flames could consume her in Critically acclaimed Southern mystery novelist Christopher Swann’s followup to Never Turn Back, perfect for fans of Linwood Barclay and David Swinson.
Orphaned at age ten by a violent home invasion, Susannah Faulkner grew up wild, her stubbornness the only thing harder than her heart. Since then, she’s used her skills to put a boot in the faces of those who deserve it. She knows she’s wired wrong and living a dangerous and violent life, but she’s determined to wring something decent from the world before she leaves it.
Then she gets word her brother Ethan needs her help and returns home to Atlanta. But in the airport, she finds her Uncle Gavin suffering a heart attack. Before he is rushed to the hospital, Gavin whispers a single word to Suzie: Peaches. She’s determined to uncover the meaning behind the cryptic message, but Ethan is also deep in trouble. An ex-soldier and ex-con named Finn appeared on his doorstep with a disturbing story: fifteen years earlier, Finn served with their father in Iraq, where they stole millions in cash. Now the money is missing, and Finn wants his share—or else.
A gang war threatens to explode on Atlanta’s streets. Uncle Gavin clings to life in the hospital. Finn is bent on finding his missing millions. And now, Suzie will be tested as never before in a crucible of violence where all that she holds dear is on the line.
Praise
“Swann is already well admired for his intelligent and skilled plotting, and with Never Go Home, not only do we get more of that, but he has upped the ante with the unforgettable and beautifully flawed Susannah Faulkner . . . By far the best Swann novel yet.” —Brian Panowich, award-winning author of Bull Mountain & Tiny Daggers
“Equal parts brutal and tender, Never Go Home is a fast-paced page-turner with a bad-ass heroine."
—Tara Laskowski, award-winning author of The Mother Next Door
"Christopher Swann is a mad scientist of Southern fiction. His ability to synthesize genres is unrivaled, and Never Go Home is a wonderful testament to his talent."
—Mark Westmoreland, author of A Violent Gospel
“Swann comes out swinging in an action-packed thriller that will keep riveted readers on their toes.”
—New York Journal of Books
My Review
Atlanta author Christopher Swann returns following Never Turn Back featuring Susannah Faulkner and her brother Ethan along with other secondary characters in this compelling sequel, NEVER GO HOME. A Faulkner Family Thriller #2.
Dark, Gritty, and Complex.
Suzanne and her brother, Ethan, experienced a home invasion that killed their parents. Now, Suzanne is a tough PI, and Ethan is a teacher.
When Suzanne receives a call from her brother that she needs to come to Atlanta, she is off.
At the airport in Atlanta, her uncle, Uncle Gavin, has a heart attack, and before he is whisked away to the hospital, he simply says, "peaches." What does this mean?
In the meantime, a strange man appears at the doorstep of Ethan's house, an ex-soldier and former marine, Finn. Many years ago, during the Iraq war, Finn stole millions of cash with their father. Now Finn wants his share. Then comes the gang fight in the city of Atlanta. So they are both dealing with unanswered questions.
Gavin is not an above board or a strictly law-abiding citizen, but Suzanne has some idea what this message means. Frankie, who runs her uncle’s bar, and his boyfriend Caesar do know. Peaches is the nickname of Antoine Daniels, a proper gang banger. There is also Tane Kamaka, a mob accountant whom Uncle Gavin wanted to find to avoid a gang war in Atlanta.
Suzie is a tough-as-nails heroine due to the childhood trauma that has shaped her. From nonstop action, violence, danger, and suspense.
While I did not read the first book in the series, this one can be read as a standalone. I lived in Atlanta for many years and always nice to revisit in a book. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you to #CrookedLaneBooks and #NetGalley for an ARC to read, review, and enjoy.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Put Date: Aug 9, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
About the Author
Christopher Swann is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He earned a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University, an M.A. in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Ph.D. in creative writing from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and two sons in Atlanta, where he is the English department chair at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.
Winner, Georgia Author of the Year 2022
Townsend Prize for Fiction Finalist 2018
Georgia Author of the Year Finalist, 2021 and 2018
Southern Book Prize Long List 2018
Southern Living Best Southern Books of 2017
