MICHAEL RUTGER

“A taut, take-no-prisoners thriller, lean and fast as an express train. Make no mistake: THE ANOMALY is the real deal."
― Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, #1 NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling authors

ONCE IN A WHILE you come across a debut novel that makes you think: "Wow. This book changes everything. This game-changes disruption itself. I have to do literally everything in my power to get it into people's hands". It becomes a mission — a personal quest, even — to ensure that this first-time novelist's heartbreaking work of extraordinary genius is...

Okay, none of that's true. I'm Michael Rutger. Michael Rutger is me. Though in my head he's maybe half an inch taller. And has a slightly fancier wallet.

Why have I taken on yet another name? Let’s just say “publishing reasons” and leave it at that — though THE ANOMALY is genuinely a little different to anything I’ve done before. It’s not as zany as the Michael Marshall Smith novels, but it is lighter in tone than the Michael Marshall books, as much an adventure as a thriller. I've been fascinated by unsolved mysteries and the uncanny my entire life, and in the character of Nolan Moore I've finally found a way to deal with them in fiction.

It was a huge fun to write, and I hope it'll be a gripping and compelling read. The quotes in this email are from a few people who've already seen it. It’s out in the UK on July 12th, and in the US even sooner — on June 19th. That's only two weeks!

So if you feel like giving this plucky young hopeful a boost, feel free to click on one of the links above to pre-order it. Please pass this information on to anybody who might be interested, and also ask them why the hell they haven’t subscribed to the newsletter yet. Stand outside their window in the night and keep shouting it at them until they do it. Honestly, some people.

“Gripping, exciting, page-turning fun. I suspect Michael Crichton would have been happy to put his name to it.”
— John Connolly, internationally-bestselling author of the Charlie Parker mysteries

"THE ANOMALY crackles with claustrophobic tension that had me holding my breath. Sharp dialogue, a dizzying plot, and a real sense of dread throughout. I couldn't sleep until I'd finished reading, and then I couldn't sleep just thinking about it. I loved it. Michael Rutger is here to stay."
— Sarah Pinborough, NYT-bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES

THE ANOMALY

From the publisher...

If Indiana Jones lived in the X-FILES era, he might bear a strong resemblance to Nolan Moore — a rogue (sort of) archaeologist who hosts a YouTube documentary series derisively dismissed by the "real" experts, but beloved of conspiracy theorists.

Nolan and his team set out to retrace the steps of an explorer from 1909, who claimed to have discovered a mysterious cavern high up in the ancient rockface of the grand canyon.

And nobody’s more surprised than Nolan when, for once, it seems like he may have actually found what he seeks...

But then the cave begins turning against them in mysterious ways, and their quest suddenly becomes one of survival against seemingly impossible and terrible odds.

The only way out is to answer a series of intriguing questions:

What is this strange cave? How has it remained hidden for so long?

And why did its last visitors attempt to seal it forever?

“THE ANOMALY is my type of story — terrific writing from a confident storyteller. What more could you want? Sure to be in the mix with the best thrillers of the year, it's a thrilling and haunting read from first page to last."
―Michael Koryta, NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling author of HOW IT HAPPENED and THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD

“Fans of the paranormal thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child will relish this superior debut"
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

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