The Night of the Flood

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

First published 2018

Maggie Wilbourne faces execution tonight, the first woman Pennsylvania will put to death in decades. Outside the prison, protesters rage against her fate. Their fury boils over into direct action. They destroy the local dam. Water crashes through Everton, transforming the town into a lawless zone where desperation rules. Store owners barricade themselves against looters. A calculating servant spots her chance for revenge. Young men prowl the streets looking for targets. The flood strips away civilization's thin veneer, exposing what lies beneath. Fourteen acclaimed crime writers deliver interconnected stories from this single night of chaos. Each tale reveals how ordinary people react when order collapses. Some protect what they can. Others take what they want. All face choices that define who they really are when no one is watching.

Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller

Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, ordinary-people, social-commentary

Setting: Everton, Pennsylvania

Period: Night

318 pages · Paperback · Down & Out Books

Content warnings: violence

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