Fourteen-year-old Ruben has always had a telepathic connection with his family. When his sister Rachel is away visiting a friend, Ruben knows—without the slightest doubt—the moment she is murdered. With an imprisoned father unavailable to help out, and the police unwilling to provide much information, Ruben and his older brother Cole set out to visit the remote village where Rachel spent her final day. From the moment they first arrive in Lychcombe, it’s obvious that the townspeople are keeping secrets and the brothers are not welcome there. As they persist in unraveling the intrigue lurking beneath the surface, Ruben and Cole find their own lives in danger. Mistaken identity, betrayal, power, and greed all play a role as the plot unwinds, climaxing in a scene of blazing guns and stuntman heroics. The high-octane action finale is balanced by a moody sense of eerie isolation on the Devon moors as a grieving family seeks answers, and revenge. (Ages 13–16)

Two half-gypsy teenagers, Ruben and Cole, travel from their London home to the desolate Devon village of Lychcombe to discover the truth behind the brutal murder of their sister, Rachel, in a remote moorland field. Brooks’s attention to descriptive details dramatically captures the moody atmosphere of the desolate moors and the depth of the brothers’ anger and grief over their sister’s death, as well as the strength of their close relation ship. This is a suspenseful psychological thriller with a cast of well-defined characters, corruption, violence—and a touch of romance. 2007 Carnegie Medal Shortlist. ca, hc

“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