“In prose that is as pure and clear as the cold it evokes,
Smolens probes intimate relationships and reveals
nefarious schemes in a gripping story.”
—Library Journal
“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