When She Left

One of the Most Anticipated Novels of 2024 (CrimeReads)

February 6, 2024, from Thomas and Mercer!

 

SUMMARY

The story of a young couple running from a family of criminals, and the reluctant hitman hired to find them.
Twenty-three year old Melissa Cruz can’t help falling in love with photographer Jake Smith, even if it means betraying her boyfriend Chris Winters, a rising star in his family’s criminal organization. After barely escaping when Chris discovers the two of them together, Jake and Melissa find themselves on the run, with nowhere to turn and death around every corner.
To catch Jake and Melissa, Chris Winters calls upon a group of assassins who work for his family, among them a man named Lucky Wilson. Lucky has built a life for himself as a real estate agent by day and, unbeknownst to his wife and daughter, a hitman for the Winters at night. But Lucky hasn’t been himself ever since discovering his wife’s affair, given to crying fits and panic attacks. He takes the job with the Winterses on the promise that he can leave their criminal network and attempt to rebuild the family life he desperately craves.

 

PRAISE

“Aymar’s third book is instantly cinematic, opening with a skittish pair seated in a diner and quickly catapulting into a series of frantic chases and narrow escapes… This would appeal to fans of Elmore Leonard’s and Jeff Lindsay’s books and the Quentin Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs, with high-stakes violence tempered by humor and disarmingly sympathetic antiheroes.”
– Booklist
“When She Left is a fast-paced, gripping thriller. Set in the D.C. metro area, the author peppers the action with social insights…The novel is deeply and expertly true crime fiction, fans of which will enjoy its page-turning action.”
– The Washington City Paper
“Aymar’s fourth novel channels vintage Elmore Leonard with its sharp dialogue and tight plot that veers into believable tendrils. When She Left is an unconventional love story and the tale of a mother who has lost all sense of morals…Readers may find their allegiance to characters shifting throughout When She Left as Aymar continues his affinity for depicting characters with acute empathy.”
– South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Oline Cogdill)
“The gravitational pull of a powerful crime family is at the center of Aymar’s new thriller, as a young woman takes her chance to run off and a reluctant assassin is set on her trail, although along the way he’s looking for his own way out. Aymar artfully assembles a fascinating mix of motivations and characters and keeps the adrenaline pumping right up to the satisfying conclusion.”
– CrimeReads
“The fast-moving and sometimes-comic tale unfolds the back stories of the various characters, beautifully illustrating how bad decisions can be the product of fierce love and how what seems like the worst path might be a redemption. While waiting for this book, you’ll want to go back and try Aymar’s No Home for Killers and They’re Gone, as his writing is just great.”
– firstCLUE Reviews
“If you love thrillers, you won’t be able to put down this heart-pounding new book.”
– BookBub
“Janine Granda narrates this thriller about a woman and her lover who are on the run from a violent mob family. Melissa and Jake are struggling to keep one step ahead of Lucky Wilson, an assassin with a wealth of emotional problems and a mandate to bring Melissa back to her ex-boyfriend, the mob boss. A bizarre mix of assassins and mob associates await around every corner. Granda’s narration skillfully balances the dramatic action of lovers on the run with the occasional moments of wicked humor in this fast-paced story. Granda’s performance captures Melissa’s fear and strength, Lucky’s general neurotic suspicion, and rest of the bizarre and unique characters.”
– AudioFile Magazine
“A riveting and original novel from start to finish, When She Left by novelist E. A. Aymar is suspense thriller action adventure storytelling at its very best. A ‘must’ for fans of fast paced crime fiction.”
– Midwest Book Review
“Cliffhangers and plot twists abound in this intriguing page-turner. From a nail-biter of an opening scene, E.A. Aymar deftly propels an unconventional cast along an adrenaline-jolting narrative to a gratifying finale. This is crime fiction at its finest, a seamless fusion of character study with mystery/thriller. Don’t miss it!”
– New York Times Bestselling Author Wendy Corsi Staub
“E.A. Aymar steps on the gas within the very first pages of When She Left – and doesn’t let up throughout this wild ride of a thriller. Relentlessly paced, with characters that are complicated and feel real enough to talk to, this book will keep you up well into the night as it speeds and twists toward its surprising conclusion. Read it!”
– Alison Gaylin, Edgar Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author
“E.A. Aymar is an exceptional talent. You’ll be riveted by his uniquely realized characters, immersed in his high-intensity plot , and blown away by the poetry in his voice. At once a harrowing story of power, escape, and raw courage and a heartbreaking tale of family, love and necessity – When She Left reveals the soul-crushing desperation of facing mortal danger while attempting to undo the past. Superb, thought-provoking, and propulsive, and in the end, touchingly redemptive.”
Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today Bestselling Author of The House Guest
“When She Left is is perfect for fans of Elmore Leonard. It’s darkly funny, packed full of richly-drawn characters and gasp-out-loud twists, and the writing is gorgeous. Get your copy now.”
– Jess Lourey, Edgar-nominated author of The Taken Ones
“An action-packed story with well-drawn characters that will make you laugh, gasp, and keep turning the pages.” 
– Cate Holahan, USA Today bestselling author of The Darkness of Others
“When She Left keeps you guessing with break-neck pacing and unexpected twists, but what truly stands out are his characters: quirky and flawed but endearing as hell. But be warned: in an E.A. Aymar novel, no character is safe. Ever.”
– Alma Katsu, award-winning author of The Hunger and Red Widow
“What a churning cauldron of intrigue and human complication. Love, loathing, and lies abound. A real page-turner. Aymar bats a thousand with When She Left! This one will stick with you.”
– Tracy Clark, author of the Cass Raines and Det. Harriet Foster series, and winner of the 2020 and 2022 Sue Grafton Memorial Award