WordCrafts Press and IPPY Award-winning author Darden North are pleased to announce the release of his latest novel, The 5 Manners of Death. North is acclaimed for his authentic, tension-filled, page-turning thrillers, including his IPPY Award winner, Points of Origin, and Fresh Frozen, which has been optioned for film development.
North’s new novel, The 5 Manners of Death, which released today, June 15, 2017 from WordCrafts Press, is maintaining the momentum by generating enthusiasm from industry insiders and reviewers alike.
Delta Magazine’s Denise Grones called it “… a suspenseful ride striking up feelings of fear, sadness, joy, and shock.”
“One of the best things about The Five Manners of Death—and there are many—is that none of the characters are who they appear to be. If you like plot twists and surprises, you’ll love North’s fifth novel, a fast-moving story of crime and deception in the modern South,” declares Edgar Award nominee and three-time Derringer Award winner, John M. Floyd.
The story revolves around Dr. Diana Bratton, a surgeon with a penchant for solving mysteries. After a construction worker unearths a human skull on the campus of the University of Mississippi dating to the 1960s, the body count mounts, and a 50-year old note suggests her Aunt Phoebe might be involved. As a surgeon, Diana is familiar with the coroner’s ‘five manners of death.’ Suicide, accident, natural cause, and one death classified undetermined are soon crossed off this list—leaving her to believe that only homicide remains. Diana is torn between pursuing her Aunt Phoebe’s innocence and accepting the police theory that her aunt is implicated in multiple murders.
Diana steals precious time from her young daughter, her surgical practice, and her hopes for renewed romance as she attempts to clear Phoebe’s name. But as Diana searches for evidence to trump the police and outrun the conspiracy between her ex-husband and Phoebe’s long-time lover—her quest to expose the truth may be overshadowed by Aunt Phoebe’s need to rebury the past.
The truth emerges and Diana discovers that, of the five ways to die, murder is a family secret.
North recently joined host Marshall Ramsey on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s acclaimed radio show, Now You’re Talking with Marshall Ramsey, where he discussed the process of bringing his latest novel, The 5 Manners of Death, to life. Fans can access the interview online at MPB.org.
The 5 Manners of Death is available now in hardback for $32.99, in trade paperback for $14.99 and in all major eBook versions for $6.99.
Darden North’s mystery and thriller novels have been awarded nationally, most notably an Independent Publisher Book Award ( IPPY Award) in Southern Fiction for his novel, Points of Origin. North’s other novels include Wiggle Room, Fresh Frozen, and House Call. North has served on author panels at writing conferences including Killer Nashville, Murder on the Menu, SIBA Thriller Author Panel, and Murder in the Magic City.
A board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing at Jackson Healthcare for Women in Flowood, Mississippi, Darden North is Chairman of the Board of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Mississippi Medical Association. He lives in Jackson with his wife Sally and enjoys family, travel, and, outdoor activities. The Norths have two adult children, who also work in the medical field.