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The Boy at the Keyhole: A Novel Audiobook
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“A fiendishly efficient, gorgeously written, nasty little thrill ride of a psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s entirely possible that I’ll never sleep again. A true tour-de-force of a debut novel.”—Lyndsay Faye, author of The Gods of Gotham and Jane Steele
For fans of Shirley Jackson, Sarah Waters and Daphne du Maurier, an electrifying debut about a boy left alone in his family’s English estate with a housekeeper he suspects has murdered his mother
Nine-year-old Samuel lives alone in a once-great estate in Surrey with the family’s housekeeper, Ruth. His father is dead and his mother has been abroad for months, purportedly tending to her late husband’s faltering business. She left in a hurry one night while Samuel was sleeping and did not say goodbye.
Beyond her sporadic postcards, Samuel hears nothing from his mother. He misses her dearly and maps her journey in an atlas he finds in her study. Samuel’s life is otherwise regulated by Ruth, who runs the house with an iron fist. Only she and Samuel know how brutally she enforces order.
As rumors in town begin to swirl, Samuel wonders whether something more sinister is afoot. Perhaps his mother did not leave but was murdered—by Ruth.
Artful, haunting and hurtling toward a psychological showdown, The Boy at the Keyhole is an incandescent debut about the precarious dance between truth and perception, and the shocking acts that occur behind closed doors.
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“Joel Froomkin is an exceptional narrator for this eerie tale…Froomkin moves deftly between the older housekeeper, Ruth, and 9-year-old Samuel…They are equally believable, and their credibility increases the intensity of this mystery…Listeners will hang on every word through the explosive ending. Froomkin takes us on a wild journey, and we love every second. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
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“Conjures a surreal, nightmarish world…captivating.”
— AARP -
“Told entirely from Samuel’s point of view, the novel is so adeptly constructed and controlled that Ruth becomes a chilling study in ambiguity. Like Laird Koenig’s cult classic The Little Girl Who Lives down the Lane, this novel dramatically tests the limits of youthful innocence when faced with adult mendacity.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Australian author Giles offers a neat little thriller with enough red herrings and clever ambiguities to keep the pages turning on the way to a disturbing, surprise ending.”
— Booklist -
“A psychological puzzle with its roots in Du Maurier…Giles creates a mystery rife with slowly unspooling tension…Subtle and haunting.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Equal parts pastoral and piqued, The Boy at the Keyhole is a story that rises above its own devices and transcends the sum of its parts. The characters sink through the cracks of your mind, straight to your soul. And the questions herein will burn you to bits. You’ll talk about this book with everyone you meet. It’s that exciting.”
— Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box -
“Sinister and tight, amusing and intense, an emotional story…A fun and wicked read that is impossible to put down!”
— Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore -
“Gripping, perfectly paced…A relentless, claustrophobic tale.”
— Charles Lambert, author of The Children’s Home -
"A fiendishly efficient, gorgeously written, nasty little thrill ride of a psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down…A true tour-de-force of a debut novel.”
— Lyndsay Faye, author of The Gods of Gotham
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About Stephen Giles
Stephen Giles is the Australian author behind the children’s series “Anyone But Ivy Pocket,” penned under the pseudonym Caleb Krisp. Prior to selling his first book, Stephen worked in a variety of jobs to supplement his writing including market research, film classification and media monitoring.
About Joel Froomkin
Joel Froomkin is a UK transplant, having grown up with American parents in a British commonwealth. He is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of both American and British sounds. His wit and comedic timing also appeal to producers. He has developed a strong body of work for young audience, historical, fantasy, new-adult, romance, and m/m fiction.