Books like River by Angel G. Afsar

Some secrets don’t stay buried. They flow. They wait. And then they rise. Fifteen-year-old River stands in the cold waters of the Thames, talking to crabs, birds, and the ghosts of the friends he lost. Eleven days ago, five teenagers went out together. Only four came back. One is dead. One is missing. One lies in intensive care. One hasn’t spoken since. And River is the only one who remembers what happened that night — or thinks he does. When investigative journalist April arrives in the quiet, picturesque town, she expects a story. What she finds is a community wrapped in silence, a family shattered by fear, and a truth that no one wants to name. Every question she asks pulls another thread loose. Every answer leads her closer to something darker than she imagined. As a detective races against time, a father watches his son disappear into silence, and a missing boy fights to survive in the dark, the river keeps flowing — calm, indifferent, and full of secrets. RIVER is a haunting psychological thriller about memory, guilt, and the fragile line between survival and truth. Some stories aren’t meant to be told. This one refuses to stay quiet.

First publish date: 2021