“The genius of this novel is . . . an enthralling descent into the dark byways of the criminal mind.”

—Washington Post

“A fine writer with a profound knowledge of human behavior gone awry.”

—Jim Harrison

“Beautifully and thoughtfully written . . . it’s bound to become part of Michigan’s folk history.”

—JBonnie Jo Campbell

“Smolens is that rare and gifted writer who can capture both our exterior and interior worlds with equal dexterity, grace, and power.”

—Andre Dubus III

“His fiction deepens the meanings of place and people—where we come from, how we got here, who we are.”

—Thomas Lynch

“With his portrait of a bygone America . . . Smolens has written an intelligent, often troubling warning disguised as a first-rate thriller, as though Sinclair Lewis has fused with Alan Furst.”

—Tom Bissell