Die Famous: A Novel

The Four Winds meets Bonnie and Clyde in this exhilarating historical thriller in which an unforgettable mother races to find the gangster she once loved—before the law gets to him first.

"The best gangster novel I’ve ever read." —Stephen King
“This story accomplishes the near-impossible: it is both big-hearted and thrilling.” —Ariel Lawhon

On the day Savannah Cody spots her first gray hair, she decides it’s time to murder the father of her only child. Edward “Nickel” Terhune is the getaway driver for the Brady Gang, one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals—with an enticing bounty set on his head. Dragging her son, Alford, and her father, Wendell, a retired railroad detective, along for the quest, Savannah embarks to find the man she once loved and the nation now fears, journeying across an America transformed by the Great Depression. But Alford—and soon, the FBI—notice that the closer the family gets to Nickel, the less clear Savannah’s motivations seem to be.
 
As the Brady Gang races to escape the law—or get rich trying—Nickel realizes he might not be able to outrun his mistakes. He dreams of a route that will lead him to peace, but no map shows one like that. Will Savannah find him before the police do? And if so, who will return home alive?
 
Cleverly layered and emotionally taut, perfect for readers of The Lincoln Highway, The Frozen River, and The Alice Network, Die Famous follows a remarkable family as they race toward an impossible reunion—and asks us to consider where our own loyalties lie when ambition, devotion, and truth mean something different to each person telling the story.