Child's Play
by Merry Jones
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Pub Date Jan 03 2017 | Archive Date Jun 30 2017
Description
A tortured child returns to the school that failed him
Since her husband's murder two years earlier, life hasn't been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She's selling her house and delving into new experiences, like learning trapeze.
Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention, where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle's school principal—who'd tormented Ty as a child—is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty's former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty.
Ty's younger brother, Seth, is in Elle's class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?
Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she's the only adult he's ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he's been wrongly condemned. But when she's assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?
Before Elle discovers the truth, she's caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she's forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.
A Note From the Publisher
Merry Jones is a versatile author, having written suspense novels, thrillers, mysteries, humor and non-fiction. Jones lives outside of Philadelphia where she teaches creative writing, belongs to many writing organizations including the Philadelphia Liars Club, and sculls on the Schuylkill River.
Advance Praise
"Surprising, dark, and even disturbing. A fragile and vulnerable
young teacher faces a terrifying first day of school--and that is just
the riveting beginning. Timely, provocative and sinister, this twisty
story of family and friendship is not for the faint of heart."
―Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of Say No More
“The murder of the principal and a teacher on opening day at an elementary school―a terrifying scenario. In Child’s Play Merry Jones showcases her unique skill in delivering this dark, very dark, thriller with a modicum of humor. The end, well, you won’t see it coming amid the tortuous twists and turns. Merry Jones at her best!”
―Patricia Gussin, New York Times best-selling author of After the Fall
“A
nurturing and protective elementary school teacher is thrust into a web
of unspeakable evil. Riveting, suspenseful and diabolical, Child's Play
keeps the reader anxiously and eagerly turning the pages.”
―Mary Jane Clark, New York Times best-selling author
“What a wild ride! Merry Jones' Child’s Play
starts on the first day of school and gets ever more terrifying from
there. The novel is a terrific mystery, with the sins of the past
rising to swallow an entire town, but it triumphs as an examination of
female friendship, how it nurtures and how it destroys. Not to be
missed.”
― New York Times best-selling author William Lashner
Marketing Plan
____Fussy Librarian/Book Gorilla/Kindle Nation Daily email blast on launch
____ARC distribution to trade, major book reviewers, and targeted long-lead publications
____Digital ARC distribution to 6,000 + digital preferring reviewers, librarians, independent bookstores via Netgalley.
____National PR outreach/ media coverage
____ Local media PR outreach/ coverage in:
·Denver
____Eblast to 9K subscribers
____PRWeb release distribution with relevant keywords
____ Radio pitch to include: Authors on the Air, Authors Suspense Magazine, Webb Weaver Books, Author2Author, and more.
____Social media influencer campaign
____Goodreads group reading, giveaway campaign
____Launch blog tour, exposure to 1.5 million followers.
____Author tour: PHILADELPHIA
____Author active on social media Twitter/FB
____Lead title in catalog
____Advertising in trade publications
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781608091911 |
| PRICE | $16.00 (USD) |
Average rating from 52 members
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