The Absence of Mercy: A Novel

John Burley

Nov 2013 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

John Burley’s The Absence of Mercy is a harrowing tale of suspense involving a brutal murder and dark secrets that lie beneath the surface of a placid, tight-knit Midwestern town.

When a brutally murdered teenager is discovered in the woods surrounding a small Ohio town, Dr. Ben Stevenson—the town’s medical examiner—must decide if he’s willing to put his family’s life in danger to uncover the truth. Finding himself pulled deeper into an investigation with devastating consequences, he discovers shocking information that will shatter his quiet community, and force him to confront a haunting truth.

With its eerie portrait of suburban life and nerve-fraying plot twists, The Absence of Mercy is domestic drama at its best for fans of Harlan Coben, Laura Lippman, Jennifer McMahon, and Lisa Gardner.

Ratings and reviews

This story gave me a bad case of the heebie jeebies! I thought I had determined the villain early on, but the story line wound around and through my suppositions, making me switch ideas in mid stream. For a first novel, this one is a keeper! All I can say is I'm glad I was reading this in the light of day. It is definitely not a book for late-night reading alone!

I actually LIVE in this town in the book! My children attended the school mentioned. It's a little crazy for me because for us living in such a small town and reading the details. I love it.

About the author

John Burley is the author of The Absence of Mercy, honored with the National Black Ribbon Award; The Forgetting Place; and The Quiet Child. He attended medical school in Chicago and completed his emergency medicine residency at University of Maryland Medical Center and the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He continues to serve as an emergency medicine physician in Northern California.