The Ascent

“I read this enthralling psychological thriller in one fell swoop. Every time I thought I would put it down, it sucked me back in and I lost an entire night of sleep. The Ascent is an intense examination of motherhood, trauma, marriage and our fascination with cults . . . I loved it.”—Jo Piazza, bestselling author of You Were Always Mine “I’ve always been a hard-core fan of Allison Buccola, and The Ascent takes me over the top with one of the most cleverly executed and original thriller plots I’ve read in a long time. Buccola’s delicate writing is masterfully sneaky—her soulful young protagonist is holding your hand in the dark, then snatches it away as you race to the twisty conclusion. I loved it. The Ascent should be at the top of your list.”—Julia Heaberlin, internationally bestselling author of Night Will Find You “A knife-sharp look into the psyche of a cult survivor who hasn’t come to terms with the events of her past, Allison Buccola’s sophomore novel is a triumph of a book. Poignant and twisty, layered and tense, I was fascinated by the inner workings of Jacob’s Hill and obsessed with knowing how all the loose threads inevitably tied together in the end.”—Stacy Willingham, New York Times bestselling author of Only If You’re Lucky   “The mystery at the heart of this novel is irresistible: how could fifteen people, all part of a doomsday cult, simply vanish one morning without a trace? The Ascent follows the only member left behind as she struggles to protect herself and her child from the trauma of her past and the dangers of her present. I tore through this book and was genuinely shocked by its ending!”—Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines   “Allison Buccola’s gripping and fascinating look at life after a cult is packed with reasons to fly through the pages. With a protagonist haunted by her strange, secluded childhood, the appearance of a mysterious woman who might hold sinister secrets, and the tantalizing question of what happened to an entire community that vanished, The Ascent is an irresistible thriller.”—Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot