{"product_id":"9781616208615","title":"Shadow of the Lions : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Christopher Swann\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e“My lungs began to burn as I started sprinting. It wasn’t just that I wanted to catch Fritz. I had the distinct feeling that I was chasing him, that I had to catch up with him, before something caught up with me.”\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e How long must we pay for the crimes of our youth? That is just one question Christopher Swann explores in this compulsively readable debut, a literary thriller set in the elite—and sometimes dark—environs of Blackburne, a prep school in Virginia. When Matthias Glass’s best friend, Fritz, vanishes without a trace in the middle of an argument during their senior year, Matthias tries to move on with his life, only to realize that until he discovers what happened to his missing friend, he will be stuck in the past, guilty, responsible, alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Almost ten years after Fritz’s disappearance, Matthias gets his chance. Offered a job teaching English at Blackburne, he gets swiftly drawn into the mystery. In the shadowy woods of his alma mater, he stumbles into a web of surveillance, dangerous lies, and buried secrets—and discovers the troubled underbelly of a school where the future had once always seemed bright.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A sharp tale full of false leads and surprise turns, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e is also wise and moving. Christopher Swann has given us a gripping debut about friendship, redemption, and what it means to lay the past to rest.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSouthern Living\u003c\/i\u003e Best Books of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e • \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e Best Summer Books 2017\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Comes alive with action and intrigue.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—The Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A promising, well-crafted debut. Flashes of lyrical agility suggest a bright new talent ready to roar.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAtlanta Journal-Constitution\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “An engrossing and entertaining read. Swann deftly manages a dual narrative . . . It’s a swift tale well told, and at times eloquently so.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Seattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Swann’s tightly knit debut novel is a moving coming-of-age story with a noir twist that will appeal to readers of John Knowles’s \u003ci\u003eA Separate Peace\u003c\/i\u003e, N.H. Kleinbaum’s \u003ci\u003eDead Poets Society\u003c\/i\u003e, and Donna Tartt’s \u003ci\u003eThe Secret History\u003c\/i\u003e.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A wonderful coming of age story, a taut emotional rollercoaster, and a hell of a debut. Christopher Swann hits the sweet spot with a novel that has a gripping plot, beautifully rendered characters, and an accomplished style. I loved it.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eDavid Liss, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Day of Atonement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Both a poignant coming-of-age tale and a suspenseful mystery. Set in the persistently alluring environs of an elite prep school, where the idealistic image of striving achievement is always in conflict with the dark realities that trouble even the most privileged of lives, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e illuminates the complexities of friendship, love, loyalty, and duty with remarkable wisdom and compassion.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eEd Tarkington, author of \u003ci\u003eOnly Love Can Break Your Heart\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Witty, fast paced, and satisfying, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect literary thriller for back-to-school season.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eForeword Reviews, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Swann steps on the gas for the last 100 pages, [and] the mystery takes off . . . ”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A twisty tale that surprises at every turn, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e will keep you turning pages compulsively into the wee hours, cursing Christopher Swann for the inconvenience.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eJonathan Evison, author of \u003ci\u003eThis Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Fast-paced and full of unexpected turns, Christopher Swann’s \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e pulls readers into the dark underworld looming beneath a prestigious boys’ boarding school.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eMira Jacob, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Swann is a gifted storyteller, a master at the twisty tale . . . Under Swann’s deft hand, ultimately, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e explores the timeless complexity of deep friendship--how it shapes us, destroys us and sometimes remakes us.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003ePatti Callahan Henry, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Idea of Love\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A riveting literary mystery about power, privilege and the need to find the truth no matter how devastating it might be . . . This mystery is so well observed: its richly drawn characters are motivated by circumstances that feel true to life, and they speak with a rare authenticity. Swann also demonstrates a talent for setting—his Virginia woods feel either menacing or soothing depending on who enters them. Unsettling and beautifully written, \u003ci\u003eShadow of the Lions\u003c\/i\u003e challenges the idea that we ever truly leave high school behind.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Shelf Awareness for Readers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781616208615\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Algonquin Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40865734099150,"sku":"9781616208615","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_10d6ef6b-397f-4690-9d85-42cbc011f431.jpg?v=1644137521","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781616208615","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}