snow-girls-snippet.jpg

Extracts

The Snow Girls by Chris Mooney

The Missing

A truly heart-stopping, nail-biting serial thriller - imagine Silence of the Lambs written by Tess Gerritsen

A TEENAGE GIRL IS MISSING. THE CLOCK IS TICKING. FIND HER, BEFORE HE DOES . . . 
 
'I LOVE THIS BOOK' LEE CHILD 
 _______ 
 
 With the police struggling, CSI Darby McCormick is shocked to discover a terrified woman hiding in the shadows of a crime scene. 
 
 A woman who was abducted herself, five years before, and has managed to escape. 
 
 She could be their only lead. 
 
 But what Darby doesn't know is that a serial killer has been prowling America for decades. A killer she's met before . . . 
 
 Once, long ago, he tore her life apart. Now he wants to finish the job. 
 _______ 
 
 Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
 'One of the best thriller writers working today' Lee Child 
 
 'This will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
 'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
 'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
 
 'I devoured The Missing in one greedy, breathless sitting. This is a scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen

Chris Mooney is the author of nine thrillers, of which Remembering Sarah was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Novel. His Darby McCormick series includes The Missing, The Secret Friend, The Soul Collectors, The Dead Room, Fear the Dark and Every Three Hours. Chris's latest book is Every Pretty Thing, the seventh Darby McCormick thriller. Chris lives in Boston with his wife and son.

The woman missing for five years. 
 
The Crime Scene Investigator who finds her. 
 
And the serial killer who wants them both dead ... 
 
When Boston CSI Darby McCormick finds a raving and emaciated woman hiding at the scene of a violent kidnap, she runs a DNA search to identify the Jane Doe. The result confirms she was abducted five years earlier and has somehow managed to escape from the dungeon in which she's been caged. 
 
With a teenage couple also missing and Jane Doe seriously ill, the clock is ticking for Darby as she hunts for the dungeon before anyone else disappears or dies. And when the FBI takes over the investigation, it becomes clear that a sadistic serial killer has been on the prowl for decades - and is poised to strike again at any moment. A killer with links to horrors that Darby has desperately tried to bury in her past ...

Fear the Dark

'One of the best thriller writers working today' Lee Child 
 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
A KILLER WATCHES. A TOWN WAITS. 
 
Fear grips a town in Colorado as a murderer targets entire families in their own homes. As police and the FBI struggle to contain the situation, they bring in forensic investigator and serial killer expert Darby McCormick. 
 
What she finds is a brutal and elusive predator who stays one step ahead of their investigation. 
As Darby navigates the blood-ties and broken promises that divide the locals, she knows that all the while the killer is watching, waiting and circling his next target: her. 
 
She must not only meet evil - and somehow survive - but also be prepared to face this small town's dark heart... 
 
* * * 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer. Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
 
'A compelling story that will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'An exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' John Connolly

Fear grips a town in Colorado as a murderer targets entire families in their own homes. As police and the FBI struggle to contain the situation, they bring in forensic investigator and serial killer expert Darby McCormick. 
 
 What she finds is a brutal and elusive predator who stays one step ahead of their investigation. 
 
 As Darby navigates the blood-ties and broken promises that divide the locals, she knows all the while the killer is watching, circling his next target: her. 
 
 She must not only meet evil and survive, but also be prepared to face this small town's dark heart.

Every Pretty Thing

In Every Pretty Thing serial killer hunter Darby McCormick finds herself in Montana, looking for a friend. Little does she realise that a murderer is waiting for her . . . 
 
She came to find her friend. 
Instead she found a killer. 
 
Serial killer expert Darby McCormick gets a call from FBI Agent Jackson Cooper, who has been contacted by a woman who's been in hiding for twenty years. 
 
She was one of the only survivors of a murderer who has been carving a dark path across America for decades. Cooper believes he may have tracked this psychopath to the wilds of Montana. 
 
Now, he needs Darby's help to bring him in. But when she arrives Cooper has vanished without a trace. 
 
Something is very wrong - and as the trail goes cold, Darby is all alone in a strange town, stalked by an unseen predator who wants to add another victim to his collection... 
 
(Praise for Chris Mooney) 
 
'One of the best thriller writers working today' 
Lee Child 
 
'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer. Compelling, thrilling and touching' 
Michael Connelly 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting' 
Harlan Coben 
 
'It will keep you up past your bedtime' 
Karin Slaughter 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' 
Tess Gerritsen

In Every Pretty Thing serial killer hunter Darby McCormick finds herself in Montana, looking for a friend. Little does she realise that a murderer is waiting for her . . .

Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written

Great characters, exhilarating pace and twists to die for. Mooney is one of the very best

One of the best thriller writers working today

Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer. Compelling, thrilling and touching

A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up

Ex-FBI profiler Darby McCormick is contacted by a former colleague. 
 
Jackson Cooper is not the type to ask anyone for help, but he's on the trail of a woman who's been missing for twenty years. She was one of the first victims of a serial killer who has been carving a dark path across America for decades. And he may have tracked the monster here to Montana. 
 
But when Darby arrives, Jackson Coop has vanished. Something is very wrong - and with no witnesses, no clues and no one to help, Darby is all alone and running out of time

Every Three Hours

The new pulse-pounding latest instalment in the outstanding Darby McCormick series. 
 
'One of the best thriller writers working today' 
Lee Child 
 
WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES? ONLY TIME WILL TELL... 
 
Forensic investigator Darby McCormick queues to enter Boston Police Headquarters on a freezing winter morning. Lured back to her hometown to help solve a cold case, Darby won't get far inside the station - and this will be no ordinary homecoming... 
 
Because someone suddenly takes a woman hostage and a stand-off ensues. The man has explosives strapped to himself and other bombs hidden around the city, rigged to explode - every three hours - until he gets what he wants. 
 
Working desperately against the clock, Darby realizes she is trapped between a kidnapper who would kill to expose the truth and people who would let others die to hide their lies... 
 
* 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer. Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
'A compelling story that will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
 
'An exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' John Connolly

Nine a.m. on a freezing January morning. Darby McCormick queues for the metal detectors at Boston Police Headquarters. A man at the front pulls out a 9mm handgun, fires into the air and takes a woman hostage. 
 
In his bag, is a block of plastic explosive. Throughout the city, homes, offices and cars, have been rigged to explode. Every three hours. Until he gets what he wants. And he wants Darby to be his mouthpiece. 
 
She has no choice. But as she pieces together the sinister conspiracy that the bomber wants exposed, she understands that no one will walk away unharmed.

The Dead Room

'A compelling story that will keep you up past your bedtime' KARIN SLAUGHTHER 
'One of the best thriller writers working today' LEE CHILD 
 
A DEAD MURDERER. A LIVING LIE . . . 
______ 
 
A mother and her son have been executed in their home. 
 
Fingerprint matches reveal their murderer died twenty years ago. Crime Scene Investigator Darby McCormick must solve this disturbing puzzle. 
 
But the deeper she digs the more horrors come to light . . . 
 
What is the dark, long-held secret linking these sinister crimes? 
 
Is it possible to steal an identity - or are dead men following Darby's footsteps? 
 
The line between the living and the dead has never been finer - and the answers lie in the darkest shadows of The Dead Room . . . 
______ 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer . . . Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
 
'Chris Mooney is an exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' John Connolly

A scary breakneck ride with thrills that never let up

A mother and her son have been executed in their home and fingerprint matches show their attacker died twenty years ago. 
 
But how can dead serial killers return to haunt the present? 
 
The answers lie in the darkest shadows of The Dead Room. 
 
When CSI Darby McCormick is called to the crime scene, it's one of the most gruesome she's ever seen. But the forensic evidence is even more disturbing: someone watched the murder unfold from woodland behind the house - and the killer died in a shoot-out two decades earlier. 
 
The deeper Darby digs, the more horrors come to light. Her prime suspect is revealed as a serial killer on an enormous scale, with a past that's even more shocking than his crimes, thanks to a long-held secret that could rock Boston's law enforcement to its core. 
 
Is it possible to steal an identity? Or are dead men walking in Darby's footsteps? The line between the living and the dead has never been finer.

The Killing House

For all fans of Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane, The Killing House is the amazing first novel in a stunning new series by Chris Mooney, author of the popular CSI Darby McCormick thrillers. It introduces fallen angel and former profiler Malcolm Fletcher who is forced to take the law into his own hands in order to uncover the truth in his terrifying first case. 
 
 
Rule #1: Don't Scream 
 
Four years ago, Theresa Herrera's ten-year-old son Rico was abducted. The police found little evidence and the case went cold. Theresa's husband has told her to move on, but she won't give up hope. 
 
Rule #2: Don't call the police 
 
Today a mysterious woman invaded Theresa's home and told her that Rico is alive. Theresa talks on the phone to a young man who is, without question, her son. 
 
Rule #3: Don't run. Don't fight 
 
The woman promises to reunite Theresa with Rico only if she will follow the rules. But it is the last rule that fills Theresa with horror . . . 
 
Rule #4: Kill your husband and your son will live. . . 
 
Malcolm Fletcher - a former FBI profiler and now the nation's Most Wanted fugitive - arrives in Colorado to help Theresa and her husband find their son. But his arrival coincides with a dangerous and shocking twist in the case. 
 
Barely surviving his first encounter with a suspect, Fletcher embarks on his own secret investigation, with the police just behind him every step of the way. 
 
Join Fletcher on his hunt and discover Chris Mooney's charismatic new series character in one of this year's most impressive new thriller series. Behind every door in The Killing House, death awaits you . . . 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
 'One of the best thriller writers working today' Lee Child 
 
 'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer. Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
 'It will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
'An exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' John Connolly 
 
 'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
 'Harrowing, gripping, haunting' Harlan Coben

If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man

Rule #1: Don't Scream 
Four years ago, Theresa Herrera's ten-year-old son Rico was abducted. The police found little evidence and the case went cold. Theresa's husband has told her to move on, but she won't give up hope. 
 
Rule #2: Don't call the police 
Today a mysterious woman invaded Theresa's home and told her that Rico is alive. Theresa talks on the phone to a young man who is, without question, her son. 
 
Rule #3: Don't run. Don't fight 
 
The woman promises to reunite Theresa with Rico only if she will follow the rules. But it is the last rule that fills Theresa with horror . . . 
 
Rule #4: Kill your husband and your son will live. . . 
Malcolm Fletcher - a former FBI profiler and now the nation's Most Wanted fugitive - arrives in Colorado to help Theresa and her husband find their son. But his arrival coincides with a dangerous and shocking twist in the case. 
 
Barely surviving his first encounter with a suspect, Fletcher embarks on his own secret investigation, with the police just behind him every step of the way.

eShort

Falling

Chris Mooney's gripping eShort Falling introduces the conflicted hero Malcolm Fletcher. 
 
'Remember this rule: Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere alone with Malcolm Fletcher' 
 
When Marlena is transplanted from the safety of her FBI forensic lab to a field mission in the Cayman Islands, she has no idea that she will soon find herself a crucial part of an operation to bring in the FBI's third most wanted man. 
 
And when the operation goes awry, and those charged with protecting her seem to break all the rules, Marlena finds herself face to face with the man she has been hunting - and alone. Will Malcolm Fletcher prove himself to be the remorseless, audacious killer the FBI have marked him as, or is he something far more complicated? 
 
This nerve-shredding self-contained story will enthral readers, as they - like Marlena - fall under the spell of Malcolm Fletcher, Chris Mooney's irresistibly complex new character, in this tantalising prequel to The Killing House, out on 16th August. 
 
Fans of Tess Gerritsen, Karin Slaughter and Michael Connelly will love Chris Mooney. Falling's hero Malcolm Fletcher is set to feature in Mooney's upcoming series that is sure to be as much of a success as The Secret Friend and The Dead Room. 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
'A scary breakneck ride' Tess Gerritsen 
'A wonderful writer . . . Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
'It will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter

'Remember this rule: Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere alone with Malcolm Fletcher' 
 
When Marlena is transplanted from the safety of her FBI forensic lab to a field mission in the Cayman Islands, she has no idea that she will soon find herself a crucial part of an operation to bring in the FBI's third most wanted man. 
 
And when the operation goes awry, and those charged with protecting her seem to break all the rules, Marlena finds herself face to face with the man she has been hunting - and alone. Will Malcolm Fletcher prove himself to be the remorseless, audacious killer the FBI have marked him as, or is he something far more complicated? 
 
This nerve-shredding self-contained story will enthral readers, as they - like Marlena - fall under the spell of Malcolm Fletcher, Chris Mooney's irresistibly complex new character, in this tantalising prequel to The Killing House, out on 16th August.

The Secret Friend

'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer' Michael Connelly

'ONE OF THE BEST THRILLER WRITERS WORKING TODAY' LEE CHILD 
 
THEY'RE DYING TO MEET HIM . . . 
_______ 
 
The discovery of a body in Boston harbor has crime scene investigator Darby McCormick looking into an almost identical case: both were female students, abducted months earlier, each carrying a Virgin Mary figurine. 
 
It's a troubling mystery that suddenly turns desperate when a third girl goes missing. 
 
But when Darby makes a breakthrough, she crosses paths with Malcolm Fletcher. Malcolm used to be an FBI agent, but now he's gone off the rails, and is on the FBI's Most Wanted List. Darby knows she should turn him in - but Malcolm insists he's on the trail of the killer she's hunting. 
 
Should she trust him, or turn him in? 
 
And can either of them stop the killer before they strike again . . . 
_______ 
 
'A wonderful writer . . . Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
'A compelling story that will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 
 
'Chris Mooney is an exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' John Connolly

A masterful thriller, dark and disturbing

Two dead girls in the river 
 
 
 
Two tiny statues of the Virgin Mary concealed in their clothing 
 
 
 
One CSI on the hunt for their killer 
 
When Judith Chen is found floating in Boston&rsquo;s Harbour, links are made with the murder of Emma Hale, a student who vanished without trace, only for her body to wash up months later. 
 
CSI Darby McCormick is assigned to the case and uncovers a piece of overlooked evidence from the Hale investigation &ndash; which brings her into contact with Malcolm Fletcher, a former FBI agent now on the Most Wanted list after a string of bloody murders. And when a third student goes missing, Darby is led into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with deadly links to the past &ndash; and a man who speaks to the Blessed Virgin. A man who wants to be a secret friend to the girls he abducts &hellip;

The Soul Collectors

'One of the best thriller writers working today' 
Lee Child 
 
'Chris Mooney is an exceptional thriller writer. I envy those who have yet to read him' 
John Connolly 
 
By the time you read this, I'll be missing or dead. Whatever you do, don't come looking for me. They're experts at hiding things: the living and the dead. And the truth. 
 
Ten years ago CSI Darby McCormick investigated a child abduction case. Today, the missing child - Charlie Rizzo - is back from the dead and holding his family hostage. His only demand: bring me Darby McCormick. 
 
Where has Charlie been all these years? And what is the secret he'll only tell Darby in person? 
 
A terrible conspiracy is unravelling. One even the FBI are running scared from. If Darby doesn't lose her life, she fears that she will lose not only her mind, but her soul... 
 
* * * 
 
Praise for Chris Mooney: 
 
'Chris Mooney is a wonderful writer ... Compelling, thrilling and touching' Michael Connelly 
 
'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 
 
'A compelling story that will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 
 
'A scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen 
 
'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben

Ten years ago CSI Darby McCormick investigated a sinister child abduction case. 
Today, the missing child is back from the dead and holding his family hostage. 
He makes only one demand. Bring me Darby McCormick ... 
 
Charlie Rizzo has his family at gunpoint and when Darby arrives to defuse the scene, she finds him horrifically mutilated, with a mask of human skin sewn in place over his own face. Within minutes, a group of men disguised as SWAT officers bursts in and releases deadly Sarin gas, killing the Rizzo family outright and leaving Darby herself barely alive. 
 
Where has Charlie Rizzo been held all these years? Who are The Twelve who have been executing this gruesome torture? And why are the FBI running scared in the face of this particular, chilling episode? Darby is facing the toughest case of her career ... and, as the body count rises, one that will bring her into great personal danger and leave her in fear of losing her mind, if not her soul. For the Soul Collectors are the monsters from your worst nightmares.

Chris Mooney

A heartfelt and very contemporary thriller with huge emotional heft

The gripping thriller that will give you chills this winter

It's been eighteen years since Mary Kelly vanished from a snowy hillside in Boston. It was Darby McCormick's first case. It was her first failure. 
 
At long last the prime suspect - disgraced priest Richard Byrne - has agreed to break his silence. But he'll only talk to her. 
 
Darby returns home expecting to hear a confession. What Byrne tells her is far more disturbing. 
 
And she doesn't have long to act, because it soon becomes clear that someone will do anything to keep this cold case on ice . . .

Chris Mooney

Praise for The Snow Girls

A heartfelt and very contemporary thriller with huge emotional heft

Books by Chris Mooney

Series by Chris Mooney

Darby McCormick

Articles featuring Chris Mooney

The Snow Girls by Chris Mooney

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter