Notes on Surviving the Fire

'Savage, brilliant, merciless and mad as hell' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Lives up to the hype' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE

'A thriller's bones, a satire's glare, and a comeuppance story's anarchic spirit' NEW YORKER

Sarah grew up in the forests of Maine, following her father on hunts. They approached each kill with something close to reverence, honouring the sacrifice the animal made and the sustenance it provided through winter.

Now, she's a final year PhD student in southern California, caught in an entirely different landscape of extreme wealth and raging wildfires. She spends her time worrying about how she'll be able to get a permanent academic position, and also doing ketamine and watching 80s movies with her best friend, Nathan.

Nathan was the only person to believe Sarah when she was assaulted by a fellow student during her first year. When he's found dead of an alleged heroin overdose, Sarah is convinced it is a murder but, once again, the police don't believe her. As she digs into the case, she stumbles upon a disturbing pattern in the deaths of other young men on campus and begins to piece together a possible link between the victims.

Now, Sarah must confront a different type of killing to any she's ever known - and decide if it can be justified.

More reviews for NOTES ON SURVIVING THE FIRE:

'Bitterly dark, full of vengeance and bite. A seething, fearless story wound so tight I held my breath from page one. Brilliant!' - NATALI SIMMONDS, author of GOOD GIRLS DIE LAST

'Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy.' AUBE REY LESCURE, Women's Prize-shortlisted author of RIVER EAST RIVER WEST

'. . . a furious, fast-paced, emotionally resonant and memorable novel. I'll be thinking about this one for a while yet.' - ILANA MASAD, Los Angeles Times

A biting, savage, unflinching story of how the culture of sexual assault is systemically tolerated and tucked out of sight into the dark corners of ivory towers. Part campus satire, part murder mystery, and most importantly a tale of formidable survival, Notes on Surviving the Fire asks: who among us is a perpetrator, and how do we keep on living once we know? Christine Murphy writes with the nimbleness of a hunter: muscularly and with precision, while also propelled by undercurrents of cold, simmering fury and hot, big-hearted empathy. -- Aube Rey Lescure, author of RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST
lives up to the hype Sunday Times Style
savage, brilliant, merciless and mad as hell. Financial Times
Bitterly dark, full of vengeance and bite. A seething, fearless story wound so tight I held my breath from page one. Brilliant! -- Natali Simmonds, author of Good Girls Die Last
The narrative is equally layered, with a thriller's bones, a satire's glare, and a comeuppance story's anarchic spirit. The New Yorker
A wild horse of a plot . . . Fiery on many levels . . . An author to watch. Kirkus Reviews
Murphy's emotional, riveting suspense novel is sure to stick with readers for a long time. Booklist
A bold and complex thriller that tackles rape culture and academic bureaucracy with a pinch of Buddhist philosophy . . . Murphy establishes a convincing sense of psychological realism while making salient points about the challenges women face in the aftermath of sexual violence . . . Those in the mood for more challenging fare will be rewarded. Publishers Weekly
. . . a furious, fast-paced, emotionally resonant and memorable novel. I'll be thinking about this one for a while yet. -- Ilana Masad Los Angeles Times

Christine Murphy has lived, worked, and travelled in over 100 countries, including eleven months in a tent across the African continent and a year as a resident in a Buddhist nunnery in the Himalayas. She completed the world's longest for-charity horse ride across Northern Mongolia, during which she broke her back (for the second time). A trained Buddhaologist, Christine has a PhD in Religious Studies.

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