The dead tell no tales . . .

Hollows Bend is a picture-perfect New England town where weekend tourists flock to see fall leaves and eat breakfast at the Stairway Diner. The crime rate - zero - is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett.

The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts. The sheriff and her deputy investigate the mysterious teenage girl. None of the locals can place her. She can't - or won't - answer any questions. She won't even tell them her name.

While the girl is in protective custody, the officers are called to multiple crime scenes leading them closer and closer to a lake outside of town that doesn't appear on any map . . .

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PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON

'It's no mystery why James Patterson is the world's most popular thriller writer ... Simply put: nobody does it better.' JEFFERY DEAVER

'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades.' LEE CHILD

'Patterson boils a scene down to the single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves a plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind.' MICHAEL CONNELLY

'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' IAN RANKIN

'The master storyteller of our times.' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

'One of the greatest storytellers of all time.' PATRICIA CORNWELL

'James Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged.' STEVE BERRY

The 24th Hour by James Patterson was a No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller 17/03/2024