Solitude Creek by Jeffery Deaver will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 11 May.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
We have an exclusive extract available for you to read.
Solitude Creek
Body language expert and special agent Kathryn Dance, an agent with the California Bureau of Investigation, finds herself suspended from duty when an interrogation goes bad in a horrific way. She’s demoted and given the boring assignment of checking permits after a stampede in a local roadhouse – called ‘Solitude Creek’ – results in several deaths and a number of injuries. But Dance soon learns that the panic at the roadhouse was intentional – a classic case of someone yelling fire in a crowded venue – and unofficially begins to investigate.
And so begins a deadly chess match between Dance and the eerie perpetrator, Antioch March, who is planning more such panics in the Central California area. He’s obsessed with the idea of fear and people trying to escape from the threats he creates. No one – attending a play, sitting in a movie theater, dining in a restaurant or stepping into an elevator – is safe.
About the author
Jeffery Deaver was born near Chicago. Before becoming an author, he was a journalist, folk singer and attorney. He started writing suspense novels on the long commute to and from his office on Wall Street and in 1990 he started to write full time.
Since then he has written 33 novels, has been translated into 25 languages and has sold over 20 million books worldwide. He has been a Sunday Times bestseller in the UK with his last 14 books, including the James Bond novel Carte Blanche.
A word from Jeff
“When I learned that my novel Solitude Creek had been chosen by the BBC Radio 2 Book Club, I cannot describe how, if I may, chuffed I felt! Few media outlets are as conscientious about spreading the word about books as the BBC, and the prestigious Book Club in particular.
I have always participated in and supported reading groups (or ‘clubs’ in America) whether hosted by media, libraries, shops or individuals. Reading would seem to be a solitary endeavour, but in fact the experience of engaging with an author’s creation is greatly enhanced when others participate in the process, sharing opinions and insights. I believe the author Jonathan Safran Foer said something to the effect: ‘Books make people less alone. That, before and after everything else, is what books do. They show us that conversations are possible across distances.’ He was speaking of the connection between author and reader but his words apply equally to that among readers, as well. And nowhere is this more true than with reading groups."
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 11 May to hear a live interview with Jeffery Deaver talking about his book.
Have you read Solitude Creek? You can share your thoughts on Twitter, or post a review
Win 10 copies of Solitude Creek for your reading group – just complete our short survey.
Want to find out more? The Radio 2 Book Club has a dedicated Twitter feed.
