Thicker Than Blood - The Complete Andrew Z. Thomas Trilogy

THICKER

THAN BLOOD

THE ANDREW Z. THOMAS TRILOGY

Desert Places

Locked Doors

Break You

By

Blake Crouch

INTRODUCTION

Thicker Than Blood is the definitive volume of the Andrew Z. Thomas Trilogy, containing Desert Places, Locked Doors, Break You, and a host of bonus material never before released, including massive alternate endings to both Desert Places and Locked Doors.

Andrew Z. Thomas is the character that made my writing career—a horror novelist thrown into a nightmare world more terrifying than the books he wrote. His moral journey, from a novelist who writes horror fiction to someone who must finally question whether the words they write are actually a deeper reflection of the soul within, has been a wild ride, and I've loved every second of it—from the moment I started Desert Places in the summer of 1999, up until last month when I completed the double novel, Serial Killers Uncut, with J.A. Konrath, featuring many of the characters contained within these pages.

If you've never read my work before, this is a great place to start. If you've read any of my other books, you may have an idea of what you're in for—a blistering thrill-ride into hell.

Thanks for coming along...now hold on tight.

Blake Crouch

May, 2011

Durango, Colorado

FOREWORD TO DESERT PLACES

I first became aware of Blake Crouch in 2005, when a friend of mine said, 'You should read him. He writes wicked stuff like you do.'

So I read Desert Places, and realized my friend was sugar-coating it.

Wicked? Crouch was one of the most intense, no-holds-barred, in-your-face writers I had ever come across. Desert Places was an adrenaline-fueled nightmare, which moved so fast I had to hold onto the book with both hands.

But underneath all that intensity beat the heart of a damn fine writer. Someone who could turn a phrase, slip in some subtext, make the reader really care.

Desert Places will give you nightmares. But it will also move you in ways you didn’t expect.

How much do I admire his work? After I became a fan, I sought Blake out and we’ve worked together on several projects, with more planned for the future.

If this is the first time you’ve read Desert Places, I envy you. You’re in for one helluva ride.

Jack Kilborn, author of Trapped, Afraid, and Endurance

DESERT PLACES

* * *

'Greetings. There is a body buried on your property, covered in your blood. The unfortunate young lady's name is Rita Jones. In her jeans pocket you'll find a slip of paper with a phone number on it. Call that number. If I have not heard from you by 8:00 p.m., the police will receive an anonymous call. I'll tell them where Rita Jones is buried on your property, how you killed her, and where the murder weapon can be found in your house. (I do believe a paring knife is missing from your kitchen.) I strongly advise against going to the police, as I am always watching you.'

Andrew Z. Thomas is a successful writer of suspense thrillers, living the dream at his lake house in the piedmont of North Carolina. One afternoon in late spring, he receives a bizarre letter that eventually threatens his career, his sanity, and the lives of everyone he loves. A murderer is designing his future, and for the life of him, Andrew can't get away.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces

Between stars — on stars where no human race is

I have it in me so much nearer home

To scare myself with my own desert places.

— ROBERT FROST, 'DESERT PLACES'