On a March night outside the river town of Barron, Minnesota, three teenage girls gather in a ghost town to play a terrifying game of Russian roulette...

On a March night outside the river town of Barron, Minnesota, three teenage girls gather in a ghost town to play a terrifying game of Russian roulette. For nearly a year, two communities on the river have been plagued by vandalism and violence. Young people have been bullied and beaten. Animals killed. So far, the crimes haven't spilled over into murder, but that's about to change. By morning, one girl will be dead, and another in jail. Olivia Hawk claims she didn't pull the trigger on Ashlynn Steele, but no one believes her. For the people of Barron, this is the latest act of terrorism directed against them by the small town of St. Croix. Olivia's best hope is her estranged father, an attorney from the city, who she barely knows any more. He'd been working hard to make a life for his family, but it turned out they wanted him at home, not in the office and his wife took his only child away. If he's going to prove Olivia's innocence, he's going to have to learn everything about her public - and private - life, however much she might like to keep hidden...

Review
'This guy can tell a story' Michael Connelly. 'The really clever bit is the story - always shockingly terrifying, but just about plausible enough to guarantee feverish page-turning after lights-out' Daily Mail. 'This is a good thriller which rattles along with numerous twists and plot turns - without resorting to artificial cliff-hangers - concentrating instead on putting credible characters under pressure so that the reader actually feels for them and cares whether they survive or triumph' shotsmag. 'This gripping psychological thriller is a cut above the rest and will have you guessing until the very last twist' Candis magazine. 'a great read from a rising star in the crime genre' crimesquad.

Brian Freeman is a renowned US thriller writer. Working in marketing before beginning to write full-time, he has now written five novels in a popular series, with Spilled Blood being his second standalone.