{"product_id":"2940170437580","title":"Scrublands: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the vein of \u003ci\u003eThe Dry and Before the Fall\u003c\/i\u003e, a town¿s dark secrets come to light in the aftermath of a young priest¿s unthinkable last act in this arresting and searing debut thriller.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Riversend, an isolated rural community afflicted by an endless drought, a young priest does the unthinkable, killing five parishioners before being taken down himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA year later, accompanied by his own demons from wartime reporting, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend. His assignment is simple: describe how the townspeople are coping as the anniversary of their tragedy approaches. But as Martin meets the locals and hears their version of events, he begins to realize that the accepted wisdom amp;mdash; that the priest was a pedophile whose imminent exposure was the catalyst for the shooting, a theory established through an award-winning investigation by Martin¿s own newspaper amp;mdash; may be wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJust as Martin believes he¿s making headway, a new development rocks the town. The bodies of two German backpackers amp;mdash; missing since the time of the church shootings amp;mdash; are discovered in a dam in the scrublands, deserted backwoods marked by forest fires. As the media flocks to the scene, Martin finds himself thrown into a whole new mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat was the real reason behind the priest¿s shooting spree? And how does it connect to the backpacker murders, if at all? Martin struggles to uncover the town¿s dark secrets, putting his job, his mental state, and his life at risk as more and more strange happenings escalate around him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of James Lee Burke, Jane Harper, and Robert Crais, \u003ci\u003eScrublands\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling and original crime novel that marks Chris Hammer as a stunning new voice in the genre. A compulsively listenable thriller of the highest order, \u003ci\u003eScrublands\u003c\/i\u003e never loosens its grip, from its opening scene to the very last moment.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47117293125872,"sku":"2940170437580","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940170437580_p0.jpg?v=1763710008","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940170437580","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}