Blood Father
A Novel

Now a film starring Mel Gibson, an ex-con coming to the rescue of his estranged daughter gives this thriller “its vivid pulsing heart” (Los Angeles Times).

It’s been three years since Lydia Carson ran away from her privileged home in West Los Angeles. Just seventeen years old, she’s gotten involved with an older man who supplements his income with shady, mysterious activities. One afternoon Lydia finds herself guarding the back door of a house in Topanga Canyon during a shakedown. As murderous violence erupts, Lydia herself becomes a target. She escapes down a creek and through the hillsides to the shore—alone, destitute, and frightened. Her last option is John Link, her blood father, who has just come off a long prison sentence for violent crimes of his own.

Link jumps at the chance to rescue his daughter, but after several days he realizes that her situation is far more dangerous and complicated than he thought. Link is forced to return to his former lifestyle in order to protect his daughter, revisiting dangerous allies and hideouts. In the process, a father and daughter begin to find each other—even as danger threatens to consume them.

“Rollicking . . . An engaging, affecting read.” —Publishers Weekly

“This . . . fast-paced thriller, solidifies [Peter Craig’s] reputation as a writer with a fresh and vivid point of view. Its theme of family reconciliation will especially appeal to readers who like their thrillers to be about more than just good guys and bad guys.” —Booklist

“Gruesome, haunting, tragic and, strangely enough, edifying, Peter Craig’s Blood Father is nothing short of brilliant.” —BookPage

“Headlong, dust-billowing suspense thriller, the best yet from Craig.” —Kirkus Reviews