The Three-Day Affair - Hardcover

Kardos, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802120261 ISBN 13: 9780802120267

Publisher: Mysterious Press, 2012

Synopsis

A gripping debut novel about three longtime friends who make one mistake, forcing a chain of decisions that will haunt them forever.  
Will, Jeffrey, and Nolan have been friends since their undergrad days at Princeton. Now, nine years after graduation, Will is a failed musician still reeling from the death of a bandmate. Jeffrey got lucky and then rich from the dot-com boom, and Nolan is a state senator with national aspirations. Their friendships have bent without breaking for years, until one shocking event changes everything.   One night on a drive, they make a routine stop at a convenience store. Moments after entering the store, a manic Jeffrey emerges, dragging a young woman with him. He shoves her into Will's car and shouts a single word: "Drive!" Shaken and confused, Will obeys.   Suddenly these three men find themselves completely out of their element, holding a frightened young girl hostage without the slightest idea of what to do next. They're already guilty of kidnapping and robbery; it's only a matter of time before they find out what else they might be guilty of. For these three friends, three days will decide their fate--between freedom and prison, innocence and guilt . . . and life and death.    The Three-Day Affair marks the emergence of an electrifying new voice in crime fiction.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Kardos is the author of the novel The Three-Day Affair and the story collection One Last Good Time, which won the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for fiction. His short stories have appeared in The Southern Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere, and have been cited  several times as "Notable Stories" in Best American Short Stories. He currently lives in Starkville, Mississippi, where he co-directs the creative writing program at Mississippi State University.

Review

Best Books of 2012, EsquireBest Books of Fall 2012, Publisher's WeeklyBest Crime Fiction of 2012, Miami Herald
"An impressive debut. But what's more important is that this is simply a great novel. It does what great books should--makes you resent time spent away from it." --The Star Ledger
"Will keep readers on the edge of their seats. This debut thriller . . . takes you on an unexpected journey. As you read, you think you know which way the author is driving the narrative, only to have it swerve several times before the fascinating conclusion." --Library Journal (Starred Review)

"A momentary lapse of judgment leads to dire consequences in Kardos's excellent first novel, a crime thriller sure to please fans of Scott Smith's A Simple Plan . . . Kardos makes the most of his intriguing setup, populated with plausible characters and enhanced by a vicious closing sting."  --Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"The Three-Day Affair never stops roaring, the pages blurring by, dangerously accelerating." --Esquire

"A carefully calibrated study of how even the most highly evolved members of our species can become feral under pressure."  --The New York Times
"This first novel from storyteller Kardos (One Last Good Time, 2010) leads three ordinary guys into a dark wood and turns the screws on them . . . An agonizing moral nightmare."  --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)             

"The sort of book you read with one eye closed because you can hardly stand to see what will happen, but there's no way you can put it down. Author Kardos created characters you can't help but care about. Will is wonderfully human. Great use of settings, clear writing, and a plot gratifying in its complexity and surprises. It would make a terrific book for a group to read and discuss." --Read Me Deadly

"Kardos is a first novelist, but doesn't write like one. He has an uncommonly agile touch." --Toronto Star

"The Three-Day Affair will make many best-of-the-year lists." --Mystery Scene

About this edition

• Publisher: Mysterious Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0802120261
• ISBN 13: 9780802120267
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256