”Pure, unadulterated adrenaline… sardonic and self aware… outrageously entertaining” — New York Times"Walker, the author of Dietland, does something remarkable in this ambitious thriller....Walker infuses it with not only suspense but also pointed commentary about how often women are regarded as childbearing vessels, how morally messy society's love of true crime is, and how loopy the academic fixation on cult literary figures can become...(Furious Violet) has a ripeness, richness, and intelligence uncommon in its genre." — Frank Bruni, for the New York Times“A scathing indictment of fan culture, the true-crime industry and society’s treatment of women.” — People Magazine"Darkly funny, unsettling, and brilliantly original, Furious Violet showcases Sarai Walker’s talent for blending social commentary with psychological suspense.... Walker expertly layers tension throughout the narrative, creating an atmosphere where reality and paranoia become increasingly difficult to separate. At the same time, the novel offers a sharp examination of motherhood, fame, creativity, and identity. Furious Violet is the kind of thought-provoking thriller that lingers in the mind long after the final page." — Seattle Book Review, Most Anticipated“Furious Violet is a suspenseful, darkly funny celebration of female anger, particularly the kind society expects middle-aged women to swallow. " — Seattle Times“Crime journalist Violet retreats to Colorado to work on a book about a serial killer. That is, until she’s confronted by a stalker — claiming to be her child. 'Psychological thrill ride' may be an understatement.” — The Skimm"If you loved Dietland by Sarai Walker, then you will need to check out her upcoming novel, Furious Violet. This is a subversive thriller that will make you think about what it takes to survive." — Parade“One part harrowing thriller, one part laugh out loud academic satire, Furious Violet interrogates the meaning of true crime and our culture’s obsession with the tragic lives of women. It’s about the academic search for understanding, and the ways that it can overlap with true crime’s search for answers. The way that genre can flatten and distort stories and people. A nuanced and thoughtful consideration of trauma, and how the ways that we understand such events from a distance and close up can be very different, and how that can change over time. It’s a remarkable accomplishment, and both times I read the book I rushed through it because the book so deeply entertaining, even as I can’t stop thinking about it.” — CrimeReads"This is a tightly written novel that’s both propulsive and considered, the kind of book that prompts reflection as much as it does frantic page-turning.” — Book Reporter“In this tense thriller, Violet Shelley—a misanthropic, Mountain Dew–guzzling true crime author—is forever contending with the legacy of her late mother, a legendary poet who died when Violet, now 49, was a baby. When a stalker starts leaving creepy notes for Violet, calling her ‘Mother,’ she sets out to find the culprit.” — AARP“Furious Violet gives us a lot to chew on. Among other things, it’s a sharp satire of academia, an exploration of the role of the mother as artist and individual, and a hard look at the toll taken by the practice of true-crime writing. But, at the same time, it’s crazily entertaining, with an irresistible momentum that turns ominously suspenseful as the annoying stalker morphs into a diabolically intent hunter.” — Air Mail"I confess that every once in a while, a book comes along whose cover is just too fascinating to ignore. The jacket of Sarai Walker’s Furious Violet with its striking typography superimposed on a detail from Caravaggio’s Medusa, was one of those for me. So shout out to designer Sara Wood for piquing my interest in this novel, and even greater kudos to the author for keeping me hooked once I cracked open that first page… Furious Violet more than lives up to the promise of its book jacket. It’s an unsettling literary thriller, and its cryptic stalker messages and well-plotted backstory revelations are designed to keep readers off-kilter. [It's] a tightly written novel that’s both propulsive and considered, the kind of book that prompts reflection as much as it does frantic page-turning. — Book Reporter"Gripping, provocative, and laced with pitch-black humor, Furious Violet is a psychological thrill ride and a fierce exploration of motherhood, fame, and the question of who can lay claim to women’s legacies. Sarai Walker delivers a heroine unlike any other: damaged, defiant, and utterly" — Novels Alive"Furious Violet is fantastic." — Jennifer Weiner, for Metro Philadelphia"Furious Violet is for every woman of a certain age who is called difficult for demanding more from the world than men are willing to give. It is for every girl rereading The Bell Jar because it told her a secret about herself. It is for all of us stopping up our ears with true crime podcasts to silence the twenty-four hour news cycle. Sarai Walker's third novel is as engaging and darkly funny as her first two. From the visceral opening pages, to the surprising and thrilling conclusion, this novel will earn a place on the top of your reading pile, and then into a dear friend's hands because great stories are meant to be shared." — Courtney Miller Santo, author of Three Story House"A detective story about detective stories—and motherhood, non-motherhood, and literary legacy—Furious Violet is an impeccably plotted, Hitchcock-by-way-of-Plath novel that barrels toward its thrilling conclusion with equal parts suspense and intellect." — Teddy Wayne, author of The Au Pair and The Winner"Furious Violet is a sharp, psychological mystery that builds tension from the beginning and sustains it throughout. At its center is Violet West, a journalist living in the shadow of her late mother, the celebrated poet Juliet Bellwood, whose legacy continues to shape and complicate her life. As the pressure surrounding that legacy intensifies, Violet is drawn into a deeply personal and increasingly disturbing situation that forces her to confront lingering questions about her mother’s life and death. It is a tense, absorbing read that lingers well after the final page." — Julia Cowley, retired FBI agent and profiler, and host of The Consult podcast“Just try not to read Furious Violet at a furious speed. Once Violet 'West' Shelley, our true-crime-writer-turned-detective, is on the case of her mystery stalker, you won't be able to hit the brakes. With a wry takedown of academic fanaticism, a complex investigation of motherhood, and one twist after another, Sarai Walker has written a fierce, feminist novel that can only be consumed furiously." — Eric Schlich, author of Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife
