Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo is set to return to the literary spotlight this summer with a gripping new crime novel, Under the Falls, parade.com reports. Scheduled for release on August 11 via Knopf, the book marks Russo’s first standalone work since 2019’s Chances Are….
Best known for his 2002 Pulitzer-winning masterpiece Empire Falls, Russo has built a career exploring the intricate dynamics of blue-collar communities. His latest offering weaves these familiar themes into a darker, crime-driven narrative centered on a single, transformative tragedy.
The story follows Tyler Sinclair, a musician who fled his hometown of Stone Mountain at 18. Nearly 20 years later, Tyler is drawn back for a benefit concert to support a childhood friend left paralysed after an accident.
His return forces a confrontation with a haunting past, including memories of an abusive father and the complex relationships he abandoned. As Tyler reconnects with his former best friend, now the local police chief, and a former flame, simmering tensions reach a breaking point.
Promotional material describes Stone Mountain as “the kind of place you might escape from once, if you’re lucky, but not twice.” The novel promises a profound exploration of how unresolved conflicts resurface when the past and present collide.
Russo’s return comes during a period of heightened interest in his work, following the television adaptation of Straight Man (as Lucky Hank) and the selection of Bridge of Sighs for Oprah’s Book Club.
With Under the Falls, Russo looks set to deliver a definitive small-town noir.
•Featured image: Richard Russo/Facebook
