“Peopled with singular protagonists and downright scary villains, this bleak-yet-romantic tale is a whirlwind ride for the right reader.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
On a storm-ravaged night, a nineteen-year-old girl is kidnapped, raped, and killed. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer. Cole, seventeen, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn’t care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, fourteen, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys’ journey from their half-Roma home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister’s death. It’s a long road, cold and hard and violent. It’s The Road of the Dead.
“Fans of Brooks’s Martyn Pig, Kissing the Rain, Candy and Lucas , won’t be disappointed by this thrilling, gritty story and it’s memorable, heart-breaking characters.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brooks’s feel for mood and setting is as masterful here as in his taut, noir Martyn Pig. A haunting, tense drama builds from the first line and only lets up for scenes of brutal, vivid violence that bring readers back down to earth.” — School Library Journal
“Brooks succeeds on every level with this enthralling mystery/thriller that will keep readers turning pages well past bedtime. The descriptions are poetic, and the dialogue is lyrical but realistic.” — Horn Book
Description:
“Peopled with singular protagonists and downright scary villains, this bleak-yet-romantic tale is a whirlwind ride for the right reader.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
On a storm-ravaged night, a nineteen-year-old girl is kidnapped, raped, and killed. Three days later, her two younger brothers set out in search of her murderer. Cole, seventeen, is a dark-eyed devil who doesn’t care if he lives or dies, while Ruben, fourteen, is a strange child who sometimes, inexplicably, experiences sensations above and beyond his own. This is the story of the boys’ journey from their half-Roma home on a London junk lot to the ghostly moors of Devon, where they hope and fear to find the truth about their sister’s death. It’s a long road, cold and hard and violent. It’s The Road of the Dead.
“Fans of Brooks’s Martyn Pig, Kissing the Rain, Candy and Lucas , won’t be disappointed by this thrilling, gritty story and it’s memorable, heart-breaking characters.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brooks’s feel for mood and setting is as masterful here as in his taut, noir Martyn Pig. A haunting, tense drama builds from the first line and only lets up for scenes of brutal, vivid violence that bring readers back down to earth.” — School Library Journal
“Brooks succeeds on every level with this enthralling mystery/thriller that will keep readers turning pages well past bedtime. The descriptions are poetic, and the dialogue is lyrical but realistic.” — Horn Book