What Strange Creatures: A Novel

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Scandal, love, family, and murder combine in this gripping literary mystery by critically acclaimed author Emily Arsenault, in which a young academics life is turned upside down when her brother is arrested for murder and she must prove his innocence.

The Battle siblings are used to disappointment. Seven years, one marriage and divorce, three cats, and a dog later, Theresa still hasnt finished her dissertation. Instead of a degree, shes got a houseful of adoring pets and a dead-end copywriting job for a local candle company.

Jeff, her so-called genius older brother, doesnt have it together, either. Creative, and loyal, hes also aimless in work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty waitress in her twenties, appears smitten.

When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kims puggle for a weekend, she has no idea that it is the beginning of a terrifying nightmare that will shatter her quiet world. Soon, Kims body will be found in the woods, and Jeff will become the prime suspect.

Though the evidence is overwhelming, Theresa knows that her brother is not a cold-blooded murderer. But to clear him she must find out more about Kim. Investigating the dead womans past, Theresa uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics, murder, and scandaland becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance. But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear that, in trying to save her brothers life, she may be sacrificing her own.

Reviews

"WHAT STRANGE CREATURES is a smart, literary mystery that explores the depths of family bonds and loyalty." -- Jennifer McMahon, New York Times bestselling author "This is literary mystery at its best. Arsenault writes a smart tale about a character who finds it hard to save herself, but will do anything to save her brother." -- Jacqueline Sheehan, New York Times bestselling author "Emily Arsenault's mysteries are so much fun you hardly notice they're essentially academic novels. " -- New York Times Book Review "This book is filled with humor, which is somewhat unusual in a mystery/thriller, but a great thing to behold. The dialogue is very smartly written, and the plot is one you will stick to until the very end." -- Suspense Magazine

Author Bio

Emily Arsenault has worked as a lexicographer, an English teacher, a childrens librarian, and a Peace Corps volunteer. She wrote THE BROKEN TEAGLASS to pass the long, quiet evenings in her mud brick house while living in rural South Africa. She now lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband.