Two Days Gone

Written by Randall Silvis

Narrated by Graham Winton

The perfect family. The perfect house. The perfect life. All gone now. What could cause a man, when all the stars of fortune are shining upon him, to suddenly snap and destroy everything he has built? This is the question that haunts Sergeant Ryan DeMarco after the wife and children of beloved college professor and bestselling author Thomas Huston are found slaughtered in their home. Huston himself has disappeared and so is immediately cast as the prime suspect. DeMarco knows-or thinks he knows-that Huston couldn't have been capable of murdering his family. But if Huston is innocent, why is he on the run? And does the half-finished manuscript he left behind contain clues to the mystery of his family's killer? A masterful new novel by acclaimed author Randall Silvis, Two Days Gone is a taut, suspenseful story that will break your heart as much as it will haunt your dreams.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781501938450

Randall Silvis

Randall Silvis is the internationally acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels, one story collection, and one book of narrative nonfiction. He is also a prize-winning playwright, a produced screenwriter, and a prolific essayist who has been published and produced in virtually every field and genre of creative writing. His numerous essays, articles, poems, and short stories have appeared in the Discovery Channel magazines, the Writer, Prism International, Short Story International, Manoa, and numerous other online and print magazines. His work has been translated into ten languages. Silvis’s many literary awards include two writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts; the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize; a Fulbright Senior Scholar research award; six fellowships for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree awarded for “distinguished literary achievement.”

Reviews for Two Days Gone

[Darcia Helle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Two Days Gone is a bleak tale of grief and murder.

Both main characters are steeped in misery. Ryan DeMarco is a homicide detective dealing with depression and alcohol dependence. Thomas Hudson is a man who might or might not have killed his entire family. He’s on the run while we all try to figure out what happened.

The story starts strong, with a steady pace and plenty of intrigue. Then the pace slows, as the middle gets bogged down in the melodrama of DeMarco’s personal life and an odd situation with his ex-wife. The final quarter of the book picks up again, leading us to the explosive conclusion.

If only it had ended there or shortly thereafter. But it didn’t. We then have a LONG wrapup. While I appreciate the tying up of loose ends, these chapters seem to go on forever with a lot of anticlimactic detail.

This is the first book in the Ryan DeMarco Mystery series. It reads fine as a stand-alone, with no cliffhangers.

Narration was excellent and kept me engaged throughout.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis is a dark mystery about the murder of a beloved college professor's family.

Pennsylvania State Police Sergeant Ryan DeMarco might be broken and troubled but he has not lost any of the instincts that make him an outstanding policeman. His current case investigating the horrific murders of Thomas Huston's wife and three children hits a little too close to home but he mostly succeeds at keeping his personal feelings at bay. He is having a difficult time believing Thomas is responsible for the murders, but he tries not to let his friendship with the professor (and best-selling author) cloud his judgment. Despite his boss's doubts about letting him remain on the case, DeMarco remains committed to uncovering the truth about who murdered Huston's family.

Ryan finds his most promising lead after interviewing Huston's student Nathan Briessen who is also an aspiring author. Nathan provides valuable insight into Thomas's writing process that takes DeMarco to his first solid lead in the case. Trying to piece together the professor's whereabouts in the weeks prior to the murders takes Ryan down an unexpected path and leaves him wondering if Thomas truly is the devoted family man everyone believes him to be. Was there more to Thomas's relationships with the people he was interviewing than research for characters in his next novel?

Closer to home, DeMarco quickly learns the academic world is full of political maneuvering and infighting. Are professional jealousy and denied tenure motives for murder? Were Thomas's colleague's truly happy for his success as an author? Or were they secretly seething with envy for his commercial success? DeMarco's discoveries about Thomas's interactions with his students reinforces every accolade for the well-liked professor but was there something darker lurking beneath the surface? Could one of his students be responsible for the murders?

The chapters written from Ryan's point of view follow the investigation and to some extent, provide valuable insight into where his life went so tragically wrong. DeMarco remains trapped in an unhealthy relationship with his estranged wife. He drinks too much, sleeps too little and devotes too much of his time to his career. Ryan appears to have one healthy relationship that he seems determined to destroy, but working on the Huston case eventually serves as a turning point for him to deal with the dysfunction in his life.

The chapters written from Thomas's perspective appear to be designed to keep the reader guessing whether or not he was involved with his family's deaths. These chapters are often disjointed and somewhat rambling interruptions that disrupt the overall flow of the story and rarely add anything useful to the storyline.

Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis is an intriguing police procedural that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. The mystery aspect of the storyline is very well written and the various twists and turns make it difficult to figure out whodunit and why. Ryan DMarco is a compelling character but some of his actions during the investigation are a little far-fetched. The investigation ends with a final plot twist that is impossible to predict and neatly wraps all of the loose ends. All in all, a dark, atmospheric mystery with a surprisingly upbeat conclusion.

[hemlokgang · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first in a detective series. I really enjoyed this book because of the interesting characters. The detective and the suspect, a well established writer, had both suffered loss and that commonality established an unusual bond between them.. I was intrigued by the structure which was supported by the writer's beliefs about writing, and the need to inhabit the characters to write about them, and the impact of those beliefs on the detective, Ryan DeMarko. Very good read!

[nikkik94 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Houston is a very popular Literature teacher and well known author. Houston's world is turned upside down when his entire family is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. Detective Ryan DeMarco catches the case and is on the hunt to locate the missing Houston. Detective DeMarco is convinced that Houston couldn't have killed his entire family. He begins to wonder if there is more going on than what meets the eye. Can Detective DeMarco solve the murders an prove a man innocent or will his search endanger his own life?

I really enjoyed this novel by Randall Silvis. I definitely plan to read future books by this author. I received a free copy of this novel courtesy of Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tom Huston, respected and beloved author and professor, is missing. His wife and three children have been brutally slain, and the police are searching for Huston as their prime suspect. Ryan DeMarco is lead detective on the case, and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. DeMarco isn’t above playing a bit loose with the law, and if something niggles at him, he won’t give up searching, even if that means existing on coffee and little sleep to chase down clues. The author does an excellent job of portraying a driven cop, tormented by his own losses, trying to right the wrongs of the world when he can’t even fix his own life. This well-written thriller is peopled with flawed characters whom you like because they are flawed. Though the language is rough and the killings gory, or maybe because of it, the author makes you feel the pain his characters endure. Wonderfully told from beginning to end, this novel sets the tone for a promising new series.

[bookappeal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pennsylvania State Police Sergeant Ryan DeMarco can hardly believe that local professor and popular fiction author Thomas Huston is capable of brutally murdering his wife and children so, while on the hunt for Huston, he also searches for leads that might prove the man’s innocence. DeMarco is somewhat a rogue cop, not inclined to follow the orders of a boss he doesn’t respect and letting his personal history with the suspect cloud his judgment. But he’s thorough, throwing himself into the investigation with little more than coffee, alcohol, and a few hours’ sleep as fuel, bothered not only by his doubts about the case but by the complicated relationship with his estranged wife.Silvis multiplies the tension with chapters from Huston’s point of view, providing limited insight into the mind of a man who may be on the edge of insanity. But is he guilty of killing his family?A tightly plotted, fast-paced and compelling mystery with well-developed and flawed characters.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 A wife and mother, three children found murdered. Suspect, husband, college professor, successful author. Things seemed perfect in their lives, happy,, complete as a family, could there be a hidden darkness to the man? Is he capable of this horrific act?DiMarco, a man marred by his own private sadness, is given the case. The professor was a friend and he is not convinced by his guilt. In alternating narratives we hear from DiMarco, learning his tragic back story in the process, and the suspected killer, now on the run.Starts out strong, but then there was some dialogue that seemed out of place, not fitting the circumstances and the author almost lost me there. DiMarco saved it for me, I just loved his character, this police officer that needs all the answers, asks questions, follows his own rules, but a bit deeper than the regular renegade officer. Along the way we are privy to some of the artistic elements of putting together a book, thought processes. There is an underlying sadness to many of the characters and the tone of the book is often melancholy. So the strength of a character made this an better read for me than I initially expected, along with a few plot twists. Appreciated the end, and DiMarco's realizations and actions taken in his personal life. ARC from Librarything.

[cathygeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two Days Gone by Randall SilvisTold from the perspective of two men – one on the run and the other searching for him – the book was filled with suspense, mystery and darkness. Ryan DeMarco is the policeman on the case and also a friend, of sorts, to the man on the run - Thomas Huston . The murder of Huston’s entire family has caused him a bit of disassociation and a great deal of mental trauma – it has also created a target for him that he is intent on finding and also made him into a target. DeMarco spends his time trying to figure out the clues that will determine whether or not Huston was the perpetrator or a victim, too. The novel was long, detailed, and filled with characters, backstories and descriptions. It was a good story but not the best of this genre that I have read. There were a few surprises that made me lift the rating from a three to a four because I do like a book that makes me think or surprises me. My inability to relate to either DeMarco or Huston may have impacted my enjoyment of the book although it was well plotted and crafted. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOK Landmarks for the ARC. This is my honest review. 4 Stars

[pet12-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars. Thomas Huston is a popular professor and best-selling author who has a seemingly picture perfect life with a loving wife and three children. But when his wife and children are found brutally murdered, Huston, who has disappeared, becomes the prime suspect.Sergeant Ryan DeMarco, who got to know Huston personally when he helped him with some research for Huston's book, can't believe the mild-mannered author could be capable of such a horrific crime and starts to look into Huston's background. Could the latest script Huston has been working on have anything to do with what happened?This wasn't an instant page-turner, but it became more engrossing the more I read. It was an intricate character study of two troubled men set amidst a slowly unraveling mystery. Written in detailed, atmospheric prose from the perspectives of DeMarco and Huston, I preferred the chapters from DeMarco's perspective. Yeah, he was the quintessential flawed cop fighting his own demons, but he was extremely likable and I enjoyed his humorous exchanges with his superior and colleagues, which were a welcome boost in an otherwise very heavy and depressing tale. I also enjoyed the book-related elements of this, such as the insights into the writing process and the literary references, which were quite cleverly incorporated into the plot.The strength of this was certainly in the characterization of the two main characters. This should appeal to anybody who enjoys elaborately written literary fiction. I received an ARC via NetGalley.

[teeth_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to reading this book and the plot sounded interesting but I found it did not hold my attention. I felt it was almost too literary for my tastes. It was a good thriller about a college professor who is accused of murdering his entire family. Sargeant Ryan Demarco who has gotten to know the professor over the years doesn't believe that the professor has killed his family and searches for answers.This is a dark story with characters the author clearly defines. I felt this book was a bit slow at times but was a good read and has a surprise ending!

[teachlz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark Publishers for the ARC or "Two Days" by Randall Silvis. Randall Silvis starts the mystery by setting the scene with the gruesome murder of Professor/Author/Thomas Huston's whole family in Huston's house. Huston seems to be running and hiding. Sergeant Ryan De Marco is in charge of this murder investigation, and finding Thomas Huston, who at this point is considered the murderer or a person of interest. The question asked is how could such a beloved teacher and famous writer do this unspeakable act. Ryan De Marco is an acquaintance of Thomas Huston, and has a signed book. In addition Thomas Huston had what appears to be the ideal life: a fantastic career, beautiful and loving family and gorgeous home. Randall Silvis starts with the ingredients of a horrendous,repulsive crime and starts with just a few characters. As the novel proceeds, more complex questionable,suspicious characters are added to this batter. It is up to Ryan De Marco to stir up all events and questions about this timeline. The two main characters ,Huston and DeMarco are flawed and conflicted. DeMarco tries to think the way Huston would, as a writer and author. There are twists, and turns and questionable suspects. I would recommend this book,but it is a heavy mystery with many layers,twists and turns.

[hellonicole_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ryan DeMarco and Thomas Huston had formed a sort of friendship while Huston was doing research for a novel, and now suddenly Huston is a suspect in the murders of his entire family.The shifting perspectives for most of the book is something I'm not usually a fan of, but it worked here. It was far heavier in DeMarco's perspective, I supposed as to keep the 'whodunnit' alive. I understand why Silvis didn't just stick with the single perspective the whole book, but he probably could have made it work.Silvis' banter between his characters was witty and believable, and pleasant to read.The mystery of the story was well done. I really enjoy books that have me thinking I know what happened/who did it, but keep me second guessing myself at the same time, and Silvis accomplished that here. Did Thomas Huston murder his wife and kids? Did one of his fellow professors fly into a jealous rage and kill his family for revenge? Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Two Days Gone, though reading about young children dying is always hard for me to do. 3.5 stars. I would definitely read more by Silvis.