The real maturity … is Gruley’s use of emotional power – his depiction of Gracie and Gus and their relationship to the people around them, including Gus’ mother, is beautifully done. The end of the book made me cry, which for me is high praise. You won’t forget Gracie McBride anytime soon yourself.
The Hanging Tree
Beth Simpson, Cornerstone Books, Salem, MA
Gruley does it again in this second Starvation Lake mystery. With his journalist’s eye for detail, he transports the readers to small town, hockey-obsessed northern Michigan, where they experience a lifestyle and come to know the inhabitants fully. The characters have even more pull this time around, and the pacing is ‘keep-you-up-too-late’ perfect!
Publisher’s Weekly
Gruley’s absorbing follow-up to Starvation Lake … vividly evokes the frigid Michigan winters and the even chillier atmosphere of an insular community determined to keep its secrets.
Chicago Tribune
The Hanging Tree is even better than Gruley’s Starvation Lake … richer and deeper and more emotionally satisfying, and the town is described with a defter, more assured hand.