White River Crossing

“[T]hrilling . . . a quest narrative so carefully constructed and expertly paced that its grip tightens with each twist of the crime-laden plot.”—The Wall Street Journal

“[A]n expertly told thriller that’s also a clas­sic colo­nial adven­ture story.”—The Telegraph

“[McGuire] vividly captures bleak beauty and brutish appetites on an 18th-century expedition into the frozen wilds of Canada . . . White River Crossing moves at a propulsive lick . . .”—The Guardian

“McGuire achieves a cinematic intimacy by writing the past in the present tense.”—The Spectator

“White River Crossing is an exhilarating thrill ride of a novel . . . The tough, forbidding backdrops of frozen woods and wastes are expertly rendered, the period detail finely observed.”—The Washington Post

“Ian McGuire chronicles unvarnished avarice and evil intent like few others writing today . . . [White River Crossing is] spring-loaded, evocative, alive.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[H]ard to turn away . . . The momentum in this all-consuming thriller barely takes a breath.”—Historical Novel Society

“A brutally rendered work of historical lyricism . . . another epic journey into the Canadian colonial past.”—CrimeReads

“A staggering portrait . . . brought to vivid life by the author’s keen talent for storytelling and willingness to depict the depths of human cruelty . . . The story’s ending is a shock, as McGuire explores in the final twist how hope and honor can be liabilities in a world of temptation, treachery, and retribution. It’s a stunner.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A fast-paced, elegantly written adventure novel about the moral and physical perils of gold lust . . . McGuire inhabits a wide variety of characters here, moving impressively among points of view, between historical sources and his own imaginings, between the literary-psychological mode and old-fashioned adventure yarn. [He] nimbly combines historical narrative and high suspense.”—Kirkus Reviews

“McGuire brilliantly portrays the vicissitudes of human nature as pride and greed lead to treachery, jealousy, and deceit, weaving a trenchant tale of man’s inhumanity to man. The prose is both poetic and visceral, while the descriptions of the land and traditions are rich in period detail. A resplendent and masterful tale.”—Booklist, starred review