Black Chalk [Paperback]

This is the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for. --NPR'sAll Things Considered

NAMED A MUST READ BYTHE BOSTON GLOBE,BBC.COM,ANDNEW YORK POST

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BYNPR

A compulsively readable psychological thriller set in New York and at Oxford University in which a group of six students play an elaborate game of dares and consequences with tragic result

It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: The stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you? A gripping psychological thriller partly inspired by the author's own time at Oxford University,Black Chalkis perfect for fans of the high tension and expert pacing ofThe Secret HistoryandThe Bellwether Revivals. Christopher J. Yates' background in puzzle writing and setting can clearly be seen in the plotting of this clever, tricky book that will keep you guessing to the very end.

This is the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for. The black and harmful little book you want in your carry-on.The novel you should be reading tonight. NPR's All Things Considered

One of the greatest surprise reveals I've witnessed. A twist that's like screwing your head on backwards. And when you see the tricky switch Yates has pulled, you just want to kiss him, because dammit if there isn't something sweet and satisfying about a plot twist pulled off with aplomb. NPR.org

A circle of bright college friends who feed on one another's cleverness and trump one lĂ&