Thief River Falls

Thriller writer Lisa Power, the heroine of this strong standalone from Thriller Award–winner Freeman (the Jonathan Stride series), hits the jackpot with her latest book, Thief River Falls, the success of which allows her to move to a house near her hometown of Thief River Falls, Minn. Then an amnesiac little boy appears one autumn night, claiming that he witnessed a hideous murder. He says he’s being chased by the killers, who include the local police and Denis Farrell, the most powerful man in town—who already was Lisa’s mortal enemy. Her attempts to flee with the boy are thwarted by bad weather, and they can’t hide because everyone in the area recognizes the famous author. Besides, all Lisa’s allies seem determined to betray her, as she strives to act as heroically as her novel’s lead character. Readers will admire the skillful way Freeman plays tricks with thriller conventions. Agent: Deborah Schneider: Gelfman Schneider Literary. (Feb.)