A woman’s investigation into her family’s murders uncovers lies, secrets, and dangerous truths in a heart-wrenching novel of suspense.
When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.
Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.
It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.
Genre: Mystery
When she was thirteen years old, Samantha Newsom’s family was murdered and their Catskills farmhouse set ablaze in an unsolved crime that left nothing behind but ashes.
Twenty-two years later, Sam is pulled back to her hometown of Carney, New York, under the shadows of the grim tragedy she’s never forgotten or forgiven. Authorities mishandled the evidence, false rumors were seeded about her family, suspects yielded nothing, and the case went cold. Not anymore. Investigator Travis Meacham has been assigned to the case, and he has news for Sam: a prison inmate has come forward with a shocking admission. Sam’s baby sister, presumed dead in the fire, made it out of the house that night.
It’s not the only reveal that upends everything Sam thinks she knows about the crime and her family. But Carney protects its secrets. And this time, Sam might not be able to escape the town alive.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"A masterful, smart, slow-burning suspense. Out of the Ashes drew me in with its sinister secrets and wouldn't let me go until the very last page." - Elle Cosimano
"Kara Thomas deftly weaves a web of secrets, tangling you in a mystery so shocking you'll never guess the ending. My jaw actually dropped." - Erin A Craig
"Bold, unpredictable, and savagely beautiful, Out of the Ashes is that rare read that combines breakneck twists and turns with deeply woven themes of family, memory, and justice. You'll read this with your heart in your throat, desperate to know what happened that night - but afraid at how ugly the truth might be. A searing, shocking powerhouse of a debut." - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
"Kara Thomas is ruthless. When you descend into That Weekend, prepare for darkness ahead, breakneck turns, and shivery secrets. I am still reeling." - Kit Frick
"A mesmerizing, creepy, excellent thrill ride of a book." - Kathleen Glasgow
"A riveting, unputdownable thriller that made my palms sweat and my heart pound. I devoured this book in a single sleepless night; That Weekend is a brutal examination of what it means to survive." - Victoria Lee
"Deliciously twisted. Clear your schedule, because That Weekend is going to keep you up all night." - Karen M McManus
"A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars." - Riley Sager
"A deliciously unsettling and grimly beautiful examination of the dark and twisted potential lurking within us all. That Weekend is a bold and expertly plotted page-turner from beginning to end, and it firmly cements Kara Thomas as a master of the craft - no one writes a thriller like her." - Courtney Summers
"This story simply engulfed me. I didn't trust a single seedy character that Samantha Newsom came in contact with while on her quest to unearth, after twenty-two years, who was responsible for murdering her entire family and setting their Catskills farmhouse aflame. Out of the Ashes is gritty, raw, and chock-full of tension as suffocating as the tiny town of Carney itself." - Stacy Willingham
"Kara Thomas deftly weaves a web of secrets, tangling you in a mystery so shocking you'll never guess the ending. My jaw actually dropped." - Erin A Craig
"Bold, unpredictable, and savagely beautiful, Out of the Ashes is that rare read that combines breakneck twists and turns with deeply woven themes of family, memory, and justice. You'll read this with your heart in your throat, desperate to know what happened that night - but afraid at how ugly the truth might be. A searing, shocking powerhouse of a debut." - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
"Kara Thomas is ruthless. When you descend into That Weekend, prepare for darkness ahead, breakneck turns, and shivery secrets. I am still reeling." - Kit Frick
"A mesmerizing, creepy, excellent thrill ride of a book." - Kathleen Glasgow
"A riveting, unputdownable thriller that made my palms sweat and my heart pound. I devoured this book in a single sleepless night; That Weekend is a brutal examination of what it means to survive." - Victoria Lee
"Deliciously twisted. Clear your schedule, because That Weekend is going to keep you up all night." - Karen M McManus
"A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars." - Riley Sager
"A deliciously unsettling and grimly beautiful examination of the dark and twisted potential lurking within us all. That Weekend is a bold and expertly plotted page-turner from beginning to end, and it firmly cements Kara Thomas as a master of the craft - no one writes a thriller like her." - Courtney Summers
"This story simply engulfed me. I didn't trust a single seedy character that Samantha Newsom came in contact with while on her quest to unearth, after twenty-two years, who was responsible for murdering her entire family and setting their Catskills farmhouse aflame. Out of the Ashes is gritty, raw, and chock-full of tension as suffocating as the tiny town of Carney itself." - Stacy Willingham
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