The Stolen Ones

Richard Montanari

Jul 2013 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

'You turn the pages as if your very life depends on it' - Daily Mail

Destroyed by fire years ago, the infamous Philadelphia State Hospital was known as a warehouse for the criminally insane.

But one man never left.

By night Luther walks Philadelphia's backstreets; by day he roams the catacombs beneath the city. Luther is everywhere and nowhere; he's is in your dreams - and your nightmares.

Then Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano are called to a bizarre murder scene: a man has been killed by a railroad spike driven into his head. But this is just the beginning of a trail of evil that will lead Byrne and Balzano back to the hospital, to a missing girl and to a horror they could never have imagined . . .

Praise for Richard Montanari

'A relentlessly suspenseful, soul-chilling thriller that hooks you instantly'
Tess Gerritsen

'The author's elegiac tone takes the curse off this blood-drenched thriller . . . Gripping'
New York Times (the 10 best crime novels of 2016)

'A master storyteller'
James Ellroy

'Scary good!'
Lisa Gardner

'Taut, propulsive and darkly gripping, Montanari is a master of suspense'
Chris Ewan

'A specialist in serial killer tales . . . a wonderfully evocative writer'
Publishers Weekly

Amazon readers love Richard Montanari

***** 'One of the best detective stories I have ever read'

***** 'If you haven't read these books yet.... START READING THEM!'

***** 'Great plot and incredible pace. A real page turner'

***** 'I couldn't put it down - utterly absorbing and compelling!!'

***** 'The last 20 pages had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my chair!'

***** 'Absolutely brilliant - almost impossible to put down'

***** 'Every once and while I read a classic which I'll NEVER forget.This is a book I'll never forget'

***** 'This is a chillingly good read with a fast-paced storyline full of twists and turns'

***** 'From start to finish, you never want to stop! You have to know what happened!'

***** 'An outstanding tale with as many twists as a game of snakes and ladders'

***** 'One of the best crime/thriller writers'

***** 'Amazing'

***** 'Richard Montanari never lets you down. The ending is always a surprise'

***** 'So easy to pick up, so hard to put down'

Ratings and reviews

I have all the Byrne/Balzano books, and I am never disappointed. They are definitely worth reading.

As always a brilliant read from Richard montanari

Amazing read

About the author

Richard Montanari was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a traditional Italian-American family. After university, he travelled extensively in Europe and lived in London.

Returning to the US, he started working as a freelance writer for The Chicago Tribune, The Detroit Free Press, The Seattle Times, and many others. He wrote his first book, Deviant Way, in 1996 and it won the OLMA for Best First Mystery. His novel Shutter Man was named a New York Times Crime Novel of the Year for 2016, and his books have now been published in more than twenty-five languages.