Marie Rutkoski – författare

''An immersive, glamorous, sexy and gripping modern love story to gulp down hungrily and quickly'' SUNDAY TIMES''This sexy, summer romance slips down as easily as oysters and champagne'' DAILY MAIL''An exquisitely tender portrayal of enduring love'' OBSERVER''This book will break you then put you back together again'' STYLIST, Book of the Month_________________________________________________________________________

There''s no such thing as an ordinary love story

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, Marie Rutkoski''s The Midnight Lie is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest. But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away, who whispers rumors that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Darcy Jones doesn''t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn''t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn''t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn''t thought possible. But Conn''s interest in her is confusing. It doesn''t line up with the way he first looked at her. As if she were his enemy.When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can''t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades'' latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won''t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.

In the tradition of Kristin Cashore and Cassandra Clare comes The Winner''s Curse, a brilliant, unputdownable, star-crossed romance from New York Times bestselling author Marie Rutkoski.Winning what you want may cost you everything you loveThey were never meant to be together. As a general''s daughter, seventeen-year-old Kestrel enjoys an extravagant and privileged life. Arin has nothing but the clothes on his back. Then Kestrel makes an impulsive decision that binds Arin to her. Though they try to fight it, they can''t help but fall in love. In order to be together, they must betray their people . . . but to be loyal to their country, they must betray each other.Set in a new world, The Winner''s Curse is a story of rebellion, duels, ballroom dances, wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

The Winner''s Crime, the dazzling follow-up to Marie Rutkoski''s The Winner''s Curse, reveals the high price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances.Following your heart can be a crimeA royal wedding is what most girls dream about. It means one celebration after another: balls, fireworks, and revelry until dawn. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement: that she agreed to marry the crown prince in exchange for Arin''s freedom. But can Kestrel trust Arin? Can she even trust herself? For Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. She''s working as a spy in the court. If caught, she''ll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can''t help searching for a way to change her ruthless world . . . and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret.The truth will come out, and when it does, Kestrel and Arin will learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

The Winner''s Kiss brings a stunning conclusion to the irresistible romance between Kestrel and Arin and the crippling war that has torn about their world in the Winner''s trilogy, by New York Times bestselling author Marie Rutkoski. War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He''s finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can''t quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people-and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that''s what he thinks.But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, Marie Rutkoski''s The Midnight Lie is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.Nirrim keeps her head down, and a dangerous secret close to her chest.But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away, who whispers rumors that the High Kith possess magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Bringing to mind Gillian Flynn and Tana French but completely unique, Marie Rutkoski''s Real Easy is a compulsive, tenacious, and unexpectedly hopeful thriller."[R]iveting...An adrenaline ride filled with grit and compassion." —People, Book of the WeekIt’s 1999 and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to mixing work and friendship—after all, between her jealous boyfriend and his young daughter, she has enough on her plate. But the newest dancer is so clueless that Samantha feels compelled to help her learn the hustle and drama of the club: how to sweet-talk the boss, fit in with the other women, and make good money. One night, when the new girl needs a ride home, Samantha agrees to drive: a simple decision that turns deadly. Georgia, another dancer drawn into the ensuing murder and missing person investigation, gathers information for Holly, a grieving detective determined to solve the case. Georgia just wants to help, but her involvement makes her a target. As Holly and Georgia round up their suspects, the story’s point of view shifts between dancers, detectives, children, club patrons—and the killer. Drawing on her experience as a former dancer, Marie Rutkoski immerses us in the captivating world of the club, which comes alive with complicated people trying their best to protect themselves and those they love. Character-driven and masterfully plotted, Real Easy gets to the heart of the timeless question: How do women live their lives knowing that men can hurt them?

Includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator. A compulsive, tenacious, and unexpectedly hopeful thriller set in a midwestern strip club, told by New York Times bestselling author Marie Rutkoski in the spirit of Gillian Flynn and Tana FrenchIt’s 1999, and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to taking anyone under her wing—after all, between her disapproving boyfriend and his daughter, who may as well be her own child, she has enough to worry about. But when Samantha overrides her better judgment to drive a new dancer home, they are run off the road. The police arrive at the scene of the accident—but find only one body.Georgia, another dancer, is drawn into the investigation as she tries to assist Holly, a Harvard-educated detective with a complicated story of her own. As the point of view shifts from police officers and detectives to club patrons and children, the women round up a list of suspects, all the while grappling with their own understandings of loss and love.Drawing on her personal experiences as well as interviews with police, Rutkoski immerses us in a subculture that is all too often reduced to cliché. Gripping, deeply feminist, and character-driven, Real Easy spellbinds us and gets to the heart of this timeless question: How do women live out their lives knowing that men can hurt them?A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

Marie Rutkoski''s startling debut novel, the first book in the Kronos Chronicles, about the risks we take to protect those we love, brims with magic, political intrigue, and heroism. Petra Kronos has a simple, happy life. But it''s never been ordinary. She has a pet tin spider named Astrophil who likes to hide in her snarled hair and give her advice. Her best friend can trap lightning inside a glass sphere. Petra also has a father in faraway Prague who is able to move metal with his mind. He has been commissioned by the prince of Bohemia to build the world''s finest astronomical clock. Petra''s life is forever changed when, one day, her father returns home – blind. The prince has stolen his eyes, enchanted them, and now wears them. But why? Petra doesn''t know, but she knows this: she will go to Prague, sneak into Salamander Castle, and steal her father''s eyes back. Joining forces with Neel, whose fingers extend into invisible ghosts that pick locks and pockets, Petra finds that many people in the castle are not what they seem, and that her father''s clock has powers capable of destroying their world.The Cabinet of Wonders is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.