“[A]n eerie and gripping tale of suspense. And Emma is a triumph of characterization: It’s rare that I find an author who can so compellingly convey a child’s point of view.” — Boston Globe
“Outstanding...By alternating the present-day lives with the origins of the Dismantlers, McMahon allows the inexorable sense of dread to build incrementally. Perhaps most memorable are not the young artists but Emma, a child whose intense imagination only adds fuel to the slow-burning fire.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A failed marriage. A long-buried secret. A lonely child’s imaginary friend. From these simple ingredients, Jennifer McMahon has constructed a fun, twisty thriller. Expect DISMANTLED to earn comparisons to THE SECRET HISTORY.” — Stewart O’Nan, author of SONGS FOR THE MISSING
“One of the brightest new stars of literary suspense.” — Los Angeles Times (online)
“In her third, elegantly spooky mystery revolving around the vulnerability of a young girl and a haunting past, McMahon fashions a fresh and entrancing ghost-in-the-woods tale replete with startling psychoses, delectable Hitchcockian motifs, and dangerous attractions.” — Booklist
“McMahon has once again written a suspensful and smart novel that weaves past and present seamlessly, slowly opening the minds of her characters in such a way that they almost feel like part of your real life long after you put the book down....Plan to read Ms. McMahon’s novel in one sitting and to nibble your fingernails to the nub.” — The Chronicle (Vermont)
“The collective sins of four college friends come home to roost more than a decade after a bizarre tragedy scattered them in this disturbing, darkly hypnotic novel by McMahon…McMahon’s deftly creepy prose creates a world of chaos and abuse; the book brims with unexpected and often startling plot twists, taking the reader on a strange journey that never disappoints…beautifully written and extraordinarily imaginative.” — Kirkus Reviews
“McMahon’s gift is the deliciously twisty way she subverts all your expectations, keeping you guessing with wry wit and feverish chills.” — People