“A phenomenal, haunting debut.”—Gillian Flynn
Nothing burns as bright as the truth.
It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small-town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.
But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town’s most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’s biggest scandal from more than a decade ago, involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.
Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as she tries desperately to find out what really happened to Kaycee, troubling memories begin to resurface and she begins to doubt her own observations. And when she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game”—it will threaten reputations, and lives, in the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.
With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote rural town of just five claustrophobic square miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of what happens when your past and present collide.
Praise for Bonfire
“I burned through Krysten Ritter's hugely accomplished debut. Bonfire is dark, disturbing, and compulsively readable.”—Ruth Ware, bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10
“The Jessica Jones star makes an auspicious literary debut with Bonfire, spinning a suspenseful, psychologically gripping story.”—Entertainment Weekly
“In this adroit debut the star of Marvel's Jessica Jones proves her talents aren't limited to acting. . . . [Bonfire is] a thriller that delivers suspense, surprise and satisfaction.”—People
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"A dark mystery with several twists. Krysten Ritter has proven her talent as an author. Lots of suspense and tension!The best part about this audiobook is that the narrator isn't sure if she is reliable or not. It will keep you guessing!"
— Ashley (5 out of 5 stars)
Krysten Ritter made a name for herself by portraying some of the fiercest female characters in pop culture history. It should come as no surprise, then, that her debut novel carries that same level of strength and complexity on every single page. . . . As Abby confronts her demons one by one, it becomes clear that she's one hell of a complicated lady—and a protagonist that's so damn appealing that it's hard not to read the whole book in one sitting. . . . Brilliant.
— PopSugar[Ritter brings an] unconventional, edgy approach to her engrossing suspense novel, Bonfire. Deliciously moody with a noirish undertone, Bonfire ignites a first-rate mystery resplendent with shadowy scenery, a tight plot and a lead character that is both fragile and strong… The melding of corporate corruption and the personal pollution that Abby endures elevates Bonfire, which blazes uncompromising storytelling and a believable, and shocking, finale. The exciting Bonfire shows that not only can you go home again, sometimes you must – to escape it and reconcile the past.
— Associated Press“An expertly plotted page-turner.
— Marie ClaireRitter has written a taut narrative that hinges around a satisfyingly lurid mystery. More than that, though, Ritter has given readers the kind of unforgettable narrator, full of quirks and bad habits and emotions, who is relatable in the best possible ways.
— NylonBonfire is a stone-cold stunner—the writing is dazzling, the suspense is creeping, and the story of a woman returning home to face her past is brimming with emotion and truth. An extraordinary debut from a major talent.
— Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Recursion and Dark MatterA vicious years-old small-town scandal makes the perfect backdrop for this gritty, moody mystery that will have readers ripping through the pages at top speed. Bonfire ushers in a bold new voice to the suspense genre. I can't wait to see what Ritter dreams up next.
— Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl“Actress Ritter makes a triumphant fiction debut with this pulse-pounding thriller featuring a sympathetic, broken lead character. . . . Pitch-perfect.Ritter, lead actress on television’s Jessica Jones, is likely to attract readers with her name, but this strong, gritty debut is good enough to create its own fan following.
— Booklist“[Bonfire is] a fast-paced thriller that . . . introduces a tough female lead who’s easy to root for.
— Kirkus Reviews“A vicious years-old small-town scandal makes the perfect backdrop for this gritty, moody mystery.”
— Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling authorBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Krysten Ritter is well known for her starring roles in the award winning Netflix original series, Marvel’s Jessica Jones, and cult favorite, Don’t Trust the B—— in Apartment 23, as well as her pivotal role on AMC’s Breaking Bad. Krysten’s work on film includes Big Eyes, Listen Up Philip, Life Happens, Confessions of a Shopaholic and She’s Out of My League. She is the founder of Silent Machine, a production company which aims to highlight complex female protagonists. Ritter and her dog Mikey split their time between New York and Los Angeles.
Karissa Vacker is a multiple AudioFile Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator and actress. After graduating with a BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, she performed in regional theaters across the country before moving to Los Angeles. She has guest starred in network television shows and films and continues to work on screen and stage. Her audiobook credits include romance, young adult fiction, and mystery thrillers.