A Virtual Conversation with Christopher Swann | Never Turn Back

Join us for a discussion with critically acclaimed Southern mystery novelist Christopher Swann on October 19th at 6 PM! This is one of our March 2018 Delicious Reads authors, and we are so glad to have him back for a virtual event in honor of his new book, "Never Turn Back."

Register Here!

Never Turn Back: A Novel

by Chistopher Swann

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Linwood Barclay meets Michael Farris Smith in this Southern-set domestic thriller about family, vengeance, and atonement from critically acclaimed Southern mystery novelist Christopher Swann.

The bonds of family never truly let go.

In fact, its grip only tightens the further you try to run: crushing and crippling.

Ethan Faulkner is a precocious child with a brilliant but troublesome sister, a war vet for a father, and a weary mother trying to manage their family. One night a young woman rings their doorbell, desperate to hide from two men who are pursuing her, when one of the two barges in after her. The struggle leaves both of Ethan's parents dead.

“An intelligent and layered mystery that had me burning through the pages. The balance of darkness and redemption without losing a bit of the tightrope tension is a skill most writers achieve only after an entire career.”
—Brian Panowich, award-winning author of Bull Mountain

Years later, Ethan has a successful teaching career and a budding relationship with a coworker. But he hasn't quite followed through on his promise to his dying father--to take care of his sister. Susannah is not an easy person to keep tabs on, is a handful even when the tabs are kept, and quite frankly, Ethan wants her to suffer for preventing him from getting to his dad before he died all those years ago.

“Christopher Swann never disappoints. Swann's unmistakable voice catapults this suspenseful story to the finish line, one dark secret at a time. A must-read.”
—J. T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Good Girls Lie

It was a long time ago and Ethan tries to put all of it behind him. But that's easier said than done. When news of a brutal murder breaks with evidence pointing to Ethan as the prime suspect, all the painful memories of his past come rushing to meet him. Lyrically conveyed with emotion and nuance, Never Turn Back is a powerful story about family, vengeance, and how some actions echo through the years with irreparable consequences.

Christopher Swann is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He earned a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University, an M.A. in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Ph.D. in creative writing from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and two sons in Atlanta, where he is the English department chair at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School. Shadow of the Lions, published in 2017 by Algonquin, was his debut novel.