“Truly inspired piece of writing . . . A mystery of epic proportions . . . . Highly recommended for mystery fans, as well as devotees of Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro.” — Booklist (starred review)

“An engrossing mystery . . . . Distinctive characters and an intricate plot will keep readers turning the pages. Tallo is off to a promising start.” — Publisher's Weekly

“Plucky heroines make me queasy. (It takes so much energy to be plucky.) The protagonist of Katie Tallo's first novel, Dark August, is better than that. . . . it's easy to get caught up in this story.” — New York Times Book Review

“A story that is never short on tumult.” — Toronto Star

“Dark August is a tightly-paced cauldron of a thriller about small town corruption, murder and mayhem, in the vein of Sharp Objects and All The Missing Girls. A macabre and confidently twisty debut.” — Lisa Gabriele, internationally bestselling author of The Winters

“What elevates Tallo’s galloping story is the freshness of the writing, and the deep explorations of character. An imaginative thriller—as much about family, loss, greed, and a young woman’s attempt to find a place in the world, as it is about solving a long-buried mystery.” — Peter Heller, New York Times bestselling author of The Dog Stars, nationally bestselling author of The Painter, Celine, and The River

“A solid thriller with a determined strong female character in Gus. Twists and turns and flashbacks keep the reader engaged throughout the story, right up to the climatic reveal.” — Red Carpet Crash

“In this epic mystery-thriller combo, no one is to be trusted as Gus uncovers long-buried secrets . . . all packed with small town corruption and murder.” — Parade

“With a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and arresting prose, Tallo creates a plot whose pace rises gradually from breezy to tornadic, and she does so with so many twists that the reader stops trying to unravel the truth and instead enjoys the wild ride. At once brutal and beautiful, Dark August offers multiple pleasures and heralds the arrival of an author of great promise.” — Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

“It has all the makings of a fast-paced, thrilling “who done it” . . . . One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time.” — Girly Book Club

“Once you’ve started reading, you will find it difficult to stop. The manner in which Tallo puts all the pieces together and tantalizes us with clues is clever and masterful.” — PamelaKramer.com

Katie Tallo has been an award-winning screenwriter and director for more than three decades. After winning an international contest for unpublished fiction, she began writing novels, including Dark August and Poison Lilies. She has a daughter and lives with her husband in Ottawa, Ontario.