Chris Whitaker: We Begin at the End

Contents

Title Page

Praise for We Begin at the End

Also by Chris Whitaker

Dedication

You see something …

Part One: The Outlaw

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Part Two: Big Sky

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Part Three: Restitution

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Part Four: Heartbreaker

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Acknowledgments

We Begin at the End Reading Group Questions

Keep Reading …

Copyright

Praise for

We Begin at the End

‘ We Begin at the End is surely destined to conquer the world. This intensely captivating story and its uniquely intriguing characters holds you in its jaws till the very last word. Astonishingly good’

RUTH JONES

‘I love Duchess Day Radley so much I want to adopt her. She is every thirteen-year-old girl at risk, an outlaw both pure of heart and ill of intent, a fierce and melancholy girl, so memorable she will make camp in your brain and never leave. In We Begin at the End , Chris Whitaker has written a gorgeous, crystalline novel, a cautionary tale about the long shadows cast by our past selves, and one defiant girl with the bravery to hope for something better. I love this beautiful book’

JEANINE CUMMINS, AUTHOR OF AMERICAN DIRT

‘Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I’ve read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last. Nicely done, Mr. Whitaker!’

JOHN HART

‘An exceptionally beautiful and accomplished crime novel. I fell head over heels into its big black heart and will carry the characters with me for a long time to come yet. Duchess and Thomas Noble forever’

ALI LAND

‘Chris Whitaker takes crime writing to new levels in this evocative and lyrical novel, which is not only beautifully written but cleverly plotted, with a climax you’ll never guess’

MARK EDWARDS

‘Stunning, intoxicating, heart-breaking – without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year. A compelling story, beautifully drawn characters and writing that leaps off the page: We Begin at the End is in a class of its own’

T.M. LOGAN

‘If ever there is a book that deserves all the prizes, this is it. So layered and nuanced, and brimming with characters so full of depth they breathe on the page … A damn near perfect crime novel’

FIONA CUMMINS

‘ We Begin at the End is the most beautifully written book I have read this year … with characters that will tug at your heartstrings, an incredible sense of place and a cleverly plotted mystery, Chris Whitaker is proving himself to be one of the most talented writers around’

LISA HALL

‘Chris Whitaker excels in muscular small-town American Noir … The story unwinds to a peak of tension and ends with a series of revelations that hit like a flurry of punches to the gut. A sense of tragedy infuses the story and this, more than anything, makes it one of the year’s best crime reads’

VASEEM KHAN

‘I don’t know where to begin – the total satisfaction of the plot, the absorbing story, the cast of unbelievably incredible characters, the sheer taste of America on the page … It’s an absolute masterclass in crime writing and story-telling’

JO SPAIN

‘ We Begin At The End is as perfect a novel as you’ll read all year. Devastating and hopeful in equal measure, with pitch-perfect characters you’ll root for at each jaw-dropping turn’

CAZ FREAR

‘What a novel! Such a remarkable achievement. So wonderful in so many ways, with writing that is Booker Prize good’

DEBORAH O’CONNOR

‘Breathtaking, heart-wrenching, heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny, We Begin At The End is simply astonishing. Easily the best book I’ve read this year’

M.W. CRAVEN, CWA GOLD DAGGER WINNER

‘An absolute belter of a book. Superb, heart-breaking, astounding and gripping. Chris Whitaker has totally nailed it’

GYTHA LODGE

‘A sensational book. Addictive, beautifully written and immersive. So many layers. So many fascinating characters. Chris Whitaker is an immensely talented writer’

WILL DEAN

‘Gasp-enduring drama and laugh-out-loud humour, Duchess Day Radley is now my favourite character in fiction by far’

TOM WOOD

‘Sometimes a book finds its way to you when you need it most and teaches you a lesson you didn’t even know needed teaching. We Begin at the End is one of those books, and it truly is a masterpiece’

ISABELLE BROOM

‘Astoundingly beautiful. No other writer can pull you in quite so well as Chris Whitaker. The writing is pure and sharp, the characters perfectly drawn, the story unforgettable’

REBECCA TINNELLY

ALSO BY CHRIS WHITAKER

Tall Oaks

All The Wicked Girls

For my readers, who have come with me to Tall Oaks, Grace and now Cape Haven. When I’m struggling, you keep me striving.

YOU SEE SOMETHING AND YOU raise your hand.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a cigarette paper or a soda can. You see something and you raise your hand.

Don’t touch it, neither.

Just raise your hand.

The townspeople readied, their feet in the ford. Movement in line, twenty paces between, a hundred eyes down, but still, they held together, the choreography of the damned.

Behind, the town emptied, the echo of a long, pristine summer had been smothered by the news.

She was Sissy Radley. Seven years old. Blond hair. Known to most, Chief Dubois did not need to hand out photographs.

Walk held the furthest side. Fifteen and fearless, his knees shook with each step.

They marched the woodland like an army, cops led, flashlights swept, through the trees was the ocean, a long way down but the girl could not swim.

Beside Walk was Martha May. They had dated three months, confined to first base, her father was minister at Little Brook Episcopal.

She glanced over. “Still want to be a cop?”

Walk stared at Dubois, head down, last hope on his shoulders.

“I saw Star,” Martha said. “At the front with her father. She was crying.”

Star Radley, the missing girl’s sister. Martha’s best friend. They were a tight group. Only one was absent.

“Where’s Vincent?” she asked.

“I was with him before. He might be on the other side.”

Walk and Vincent were close like brothers. At nine they’d cut palms, pressed them together and sworn oaths of classless loyalty.

They said nothing more, just watched the ground, past Sunset Road, past the wishing tree, Chuck Taylors parting leaves. Walk focused so hard but still, he almost missed it.