By: Julia Dahl
Narrator: Jennifer Blom, Shahjehan Khan Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250865977
Publisher: Minotaur Books
St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 09/17/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
In acclaimed author Julia Dahl's new standalone, the death of a young mother triggers an avalanche of secrets in a small Hudson Valley town.
Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a tiny Hudson Valley town - a town so small that every store opening and DUI is considered newsworthy. But when Roman's longtime girlfriend, Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is found dead, he realizes he had no idea what was really going on in her life.
And when he starts asking questions, he’s not prepared for the answers.
What was Ashley doing at the cliffside home of her troubled ex-girlfriend? How did no one in a house full of people see what happened to her? And why does it seem like everyone in town suddenly has something to hide? As Roman and his mother dig into Ashley’s last few months, the truths they uncover threaten to expose painful secrets. The kind of secrets that can get you killed.
A gripping thriller and a moving portrait of a family struggling through tragedy, I Dreamed of Falling showcases Julia Dahl's talent for using crime fiction to tell an immersive and unforgettable story. Dahl’s unflinching novel asks hard questions about love, regret, inequality, and the possibilities and the perils of forgiveness.
Praise
"The definition of gut-wrenching... I Dreamed of Falling is a perfectly crafted thriller that goes beyond a classic whodunit. Layered with complicated character arcs, unforeseen twists, and well-thought-out details, this novel―and the circumstances surrounding Ashley’s death―will be on the minds of readers well after they’ve finished."
―Booklist
"Dahl’s gift for suspense will keep readers flipping pages, but in the end, it’s her finely wrought characters they’ll remember. It’s an impressive leap forward from the author’s previous, more plot-driven efforts."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The devastating crime novel will appeal to readers who appreciate tragic family stories and fans of Julia Keller’s Bell Elkins books."
―Library Journal (starred review)
"I Dreamed of Falling is one of those rare novels in which you feel the pulse of every single character down to the mail carrier. It's an uncompromising look at love and its complications, and a frank, sometimes burning story about the tricky business of learning how to be a grownup. Oh, and it's all wrapped up in a blistering mystery. With I Dreamed of Falling, Julia Dahl proves she's simply one of the best thriller writers working today."
―Gillian Flynn
“All the characters here are memorable, but four-year-old Mason and his bottomless, bewildered grief are particularly well drawn. A family and a story to remember.”
–First Clue
"Julia Dahl’s I Dreamed of Falling is both a riveting crime novel and an intimate and wrenching portrait of a family struggling to find its footing, and the tragedy that exposes all the desperation humming beneath. Vivid and haunting and not to be missed.”
-Megan Abbott
"With this suspenseful, poignant book, Julia Dahl delivers not only an intricately crafted thriller, but also a profound portrayal of generations of life in the Hudson Valley, and of the making and unmaking of family. Its characters will stay with you for long after you’re done reading."
-Clemence Michallon, internationally bestselling author of The Quiet Tenant
About the Author
Julia Dahl was born and raised in Fresno, California. In 1994, she stumbled onto the staff of her high school newspaper and has been chasing stories ever since.
Her first novel, Invisible City, is the story of a New York City tabloid reporter investigating the murder of an Hasidic woman from Borough Park. Invisible City was a finalist for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was named one of the Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2014.
Invisible City also won the Barry, the Shamus, and the Macavity Awards for Best First Novel, and has been translated into five languages.
The sequel, Run You Down, was published in June 2015, and Conviction, the third book in the Rebekah Roberts series, was published in 2017. New York Magazine called Conviction “a murder mystery for our tumultuous times,” and it was named one of the best books of 2017 by the Boston Globe and LitHub.
Her fourth novel, a stand-alone called The Missing Hours, was published in September 2021. The New York Times called it “a great reckoning with the moment we find ourselves in,” and the book was the September 2021 Oxygen Book Club pick.
Her fifth novel, a stand-alone called I Dreamed of Falling, will be published in September 2024.
Dahl has been a freelance reporter for the New York Post, an associate features editor at Marie Claire, the deputy managing editor of the Crime Report, and a crime and justice reporter for CBSNews.com. Her feature articles have appeared in the Guardian, the Columbia Journalism Review, Business Insider, Seventeen, the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and Salon, among others.
These days, Dahl teaches journalism and advises students at NYU. She also does freelance manuscript editing and teaches online courses for fiction writers.
Dahl has a BA from Yale and masters degrees in creative writing and journalism from The New School and American University, respectively.
After 20 years in New York City, Dahl now lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and son.
Dahl is represented by Stephanie Kip Rostan of Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
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