Book
This Dark Road to Mercy
A tense, compassionate Southern story about two sisters, a wayward father, and the cost of trying to outrun what you owe — set in western North Carolina during the 1998 home-run chase.
About the Book
After their mother’s death, twelve-year-old Easter and six-year-old Ruby land in foster care. Their estranged father, Wade — a former minor-league ballplayer with a wrecked past — suddenly returns and takes them on the run. As Brady Weller, the girls’ court-appointed guardian, tracks them down, he uncovers Wade’s connection to a recent armored-car heist. And Robert Pruitt, a dangerous man with a long memory, is closing in. Told in alternating voices, the novel blends a lean crime plot with a story about family, forgiveness, and how far people go to make things right.
- Tone: tense, humane, quietly haunting
- Themes: family, atonement, choices & consequences
- Setting: western North Carolina; backdrop of the 1998 MLB home-run race
Pull Quote
“Another striking take on Southern literature.”
Kirkus Reviews
Who Will Like It
- Readers who enjoy literary suspense with heart.
- Fans of small-town Southern settings and road-novel tension.
- Anyone drawn to stories about forgiveness and second chances.
Edition & Details
| Original title | This Dark Road to Mercy |
| Author | Wiley Cash |
| First publication (Hardcover) | January 28, 2014 — William Morrow — 240 pp — ISBN 9780062088253 |
| Paperback | September 23, 2014 — William Morrow Paperbacks — 256 pp — ISBN 9780062088260 |
| Language | English |
| Genres | Literary Fiction; Mystery & Suspense |
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Cash follows his evocative debut with a lean, propulsive story rooted in the modern South.
Booksellers & Readers
Praised as an Indie Next Pick and an Editors’ selection for mystery/thriller lists.