Dig Two Graves

"...a unique hybrid of James Patterson, Dan Brown, and Harlan Coben--with a wit and intelligence that are all Powers." --Louis Bayard, author ofMr. Timothy and The Pale Blue Eye

"...a tantalizing, expertly crafted suspense thriller." --Joseph Olshan, author ofNightswimmer

In his twenties, Ethan Holt won the decathlon at the Olympics and was jokingly nicknamed "Hercules"; now, in his late thirties, he's returned to his ivy-covered alma mater to teach, and to raise his young daughter Skip as a single father. After a hushed-up scandal over his Olympics win and the death of his wife in a car accident five years ago, Ethan wants nothing more than to forget his past. Skip is not only the light of Ethan's life--she is his life. Then, Skip is kidnapped. A series of bizarre ransom demands start coming in that stretch Ethan's athletic prowess to its limits, and he realizes with growing horror that they are modern versions of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, demanded in tricky, rhyming clues by someone who seems to have followed every step of Ethan's career.

Kim Powers is the author of the novel Capote in Kansas: A Ghost Story as well as the critically acclaimed memoirThe History of Swimming, a Barnes & Noble "Discover" Book and Lambda Literary Award finalist. He is currently the senior writer for ABC's 20/20, and has won an Emmy, Peabody, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence during his time atABC News and Good Morning America. A native Texan, he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, and also wrote the screenplay for the indie-favorite filmFinding North. He lives in New York City and Asbury Park, NJ, and may be reached at www.kimpowersbooks.com.