“Funny and sad… a fast-paced, well-written book.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Wrenching… There’s an inevitable sense of doom throughout, which Read doles out in perfectly proportioned doses.”
—Publishers Weekly
“I have been on the Cornelia Read bandwagon since her remarkable debut, but even my already ardent admiration didn’t prepare me for the heights she could achieve as a writer. VALLEY OF ASHES, like all the Madeline Dare books, is smart and surprising, acknowledging the cumulative power of Madeline’s troubled past while daring to suggest an even more challenging future. Riveting and devastating.”
—Laura Lippman
“A book you’ll love (if you like off-beat quirky characters). There is much about these books and characters that any family member will recognize. If you are not Madeline Dare, someone close to you is.”
—KillerNashville.com
“[T]he main character, Madeline Dare, is so fantastic it made the novel great… Madeline is one tough chick. Her attitude and demeanor… pulled me in and kept me turning the pages… anyone who appreciates a strong female lead should find this a satisfying read and be hunting your shelves for the previous novels.”
—BrodartVibe blog
“A great New York story.”
—Lee Child, New York Post
“A superb novel… Read expertly evokes the New York City of the period… Equal parts toughness and vulnerability, Madeline is always a bracing heroine.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Powerful… minces no words… a well-written, thought-provoking novel that will leave the reader pondering fate.”
—Roanoke Times
“Read’s darkest, most passionate, and most poignant book yet… Madeline Dare is as razor-sharp, as feisty, and as dry-witted, as ever, but the stakes have gotten higher: This time the victim isn’t just one person, it’s all the world’s broken and betrayed children, and the danger can never be safely locked away.”
—Tana French, New York Times bestselling author
“[This book] does more than touch on the eternal themes of memory, regret, loss, and death—it incorporates them, making them live on the page.”
—BookReporter.com
“Read writes with infinite imagination. Her descriptive passages are striking, her dialogue spot on, her characters vivid, her storytelling superb… With remarkable originality, she scores again in a novel that transcends genre and leaves the reader spellbound by Maddie’s coarseness—and her compassion.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Read has created some of the most vibrantly layered and complex characters I’ve seen in a long time… You won’t be able to put it down until you finish the last page!”
—San Francisco Book Review
“How nice it is to hear that rebel voice [of Madeline Dare] again… The whodunit plot is funny and twisted.”
—New York Times Book Review
“Read’s considerable wit and élan with first-person narration made A Field of Darkness an undeniable page-turner. Read repeats the recipe in The Crazy School… Read is developing into one of those original and confident voices worth reading wherever the plot may go… Just keep talking/writing, Ms. Dare/Read, and we’ll all keep listening/reading.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“A totally fun novel of gentle suspense… The Crazy School distinguishes itself not so much as a mystery story, but as a hip excursion into the claustrophobic world of a pricey private school… Madeline’s edgy narrative voice lingers long after the last scream has been scrum.”
—Washington Post
“Read’s smart second offering starring witheringly witty debutante Madeline Dare… another swiftly plotted mystery peppered with wonderful one-liners… a must-read.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Like its predecessor, The Crazy School is a classic whodunit with an enormously appealing heroine… hilarious, but the appeal here is the mystery… and Read’s continuing development of damaged, lovable Maddie. You’d be nuts to miss it.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“Caustic, gripping, and distinctive… another bitterly amusing mystery… Read borrows elements from different genres to craft a strange, compelling narrative… Madeline’s a great character, and her creator is a great storyteller… intelligent entertainment.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Gutsy… Read graphically depicts the depressing underside of a supposedly elite private school.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Read succinctly mixes wit and sarcasm with social commentary… character-rich plot… humor that is well-placed, but never glib… Madeline makes for an unusual, yet very real, character… Readers will learn what a talent Read is with her clever The Crazy School.”
—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“An equally compelling new offering… Read’s novel is fast-paced; once the action starts, don’t even think about putting it down. The motives behind the murders are complex, and the ultimate heroes and bad guys are a total surprise. Strongly recommended.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Spellbinding.”
—New York Times Book Review
“Sparks seem to fly off the pages… powered by a sensational narrator’s voice… Read is a big talent.”
—Boston Globe
“A remarkable debut [that] will please both mystery and literary fiction readers.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A pleasure… venomously witty… Read’s plot crackles and pops, but her characters steal the show.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Don’t miss this one… a rare gem.”
—Denver Rocky Mountain News
“Fascinating… a sensational debut.”
—Kirkus Review (starred review)
“Read’s novel brims with verve and vitality.”
—Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
“[Read] writes in an original voice, as convincingly about working stiffs as society types, and Madeline is so full-bodied that she makes most of the current chick-lit heroines seem ghostly by comparison.”
—Denver Post
“Read is a delight to, well… read. One hopes this is the first in what will be a very prolific writing career.”
—Library Journal (starred review)