Tom Rob Smith – författare

Ända tills Daniel får ett uppjagat telefonsamtal från sin far tror han att hans föräldrar njuter av en fridfull, välförtjänt pensionering på en idyllisk lantgård i Sverige. Tilde och Chris har sålt sitt hus och sin firma i London och sagt adjö till England för att starta ett nytt liv utanför Falkenberg i Sverige. Men samtalet förändrar allt. Din mor är inte frisk, säger Chris.Hon inbillar sig saker - hemska, hemska saker. Hon har drabbats av en psykos och blivit intagen på psyket. Daniel gör sig beredd att resa till Sverige. Men innan han hinner så långt dyker mamma Tilde upp i London. Jag är övertygad om att din far har pratat med dig. Allt den mannen har sagt är lögn. Jag är inte galen. Jag behöver ingen läkare. Jag behöver polisen. Modern gömmer sig i Daniels lägenhet och berättar där om tiden i Sverige som innefattar mörka hemligheter, en försvunnen ung kvinna, avskyvärda brott och en konspiration där hans egen far är delaktig. Och när fadern ringer nästa gång är det för att försäkra sig om att Daniel håller kvar Tilde i lägenheten tills han själv är på plats och kan ta hand om henne. Boken berör många obehagliga ämnen och tar efterhand en oväntad vändning. Författaren Tom Rob Smith är född 1979, uppvuxen och bosatt i London. Hans mamma är svenska och hans pappa engelsman. Debutromanen Barn 44 (2009) har sålts i multimiljonupplaga världen över. Filmatiseringen kommer på bio våren 2015 och har både svensk regissör och svenska skådespelare i rollistan. Gården är författarens fjärde roman och Smith skriver nu på filmmanuset till densamma.

'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer'A talented storyteller' The Times'A cinematic epic' Daily MailWhat if our only hope of survival becomes our greatest threat?From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable.The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith‘A remarkable achievement’ Jeffery Deaver‘Amazing’ Lee Child‘Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling’ Mark Billingham‘Truly original and chilling’ Jojo Moyes‘Tom Rob Smith’s mastery of suspense will make any reader’s heart pound’ Financial Times‘A thrilling, intense piece of fiction’ Observer‘Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story’ New York Times‘Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying’ Daily Mail‘A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat’ Stylist‘A powerful page-turner’ GQ‘Taut and atmospheric’ Irish Independent‘Masterly... read this and shiver’ Telegraph

TWO MEN. TWENTY YEARS. ONE PROPOSAL.Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they’ve built a life together. They’ve created a home. The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal.But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life. Luis loves Danny, but does he love marriage?And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart. Can their love survive the ultimate test? And is a yes still worth fighting for after twenty years together?Tender, romantic, and beautifully written, Twenty Years Together is a love story for the ages, by the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44.PRAISE FOR TOM ROB SMITH:‘Tob Rob Smith has delivered a classic love story…funny, gorgeous, and quietly revolutionary’ SYDNEY ARTS GUIDE‘Simply told, profoundly felt … [an] exquisite love story … tender, funny, humane’ THE SUNDAY POST‘A powerful read’ HEAT

DON'T MISS THE NEW TOM ROB SMITH NOVEL, COLD PEOPLE, OUT NOW!OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLDMOSCOW, 1953.Under Stalin’s terrifying regime, families live in fear. When the all-powerful State claims there is no such thing as crime, who dares disagree?AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IN OVER 30 LANGUAGESAn ambitious secret police officer, Leo Demidov believes he’s helping to build the perfect society. But when he uncovers evidence of a killer at large – a threat the state won’t admit exists – Demidov must risk everything, including the lives of those he loves, in order to expose the truth.A THRILLER UNLIKE ANY YOU HAVE EVER READBut what if the danger isn’t from the killer he is trying to catch, but from the country he is fighting to protect?Nominated for seventeen international awards and inspired by a real-life investigation, CHILD 44 is a relentless story of love, hope and bravery in a totalitarian world. From the screenwriter of the acclaimed television series, THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY.

The Soviet Union 1956: after Stalin's death, a violent regime is beginning to fracture. Stalin's successor Khrushchev pledges reform. But there are forces at work that are unable to forgive or forget the past. Leo Demidov, former MGB officer, is facing his own turmoil. His adopted daughters have yet to forgive him for his part in the brutal murder of their parents. They are not alone. Leo, his wife, and their family are in grave danger from someone with a grudge. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance. Leo's desperate mission to save his family will take him from the harsh Siberian Gulags, to the depths of the criminal underworld, to the centre of the Hungarian uprising - and into a hell where redemption is as brittle as glass.

An ambitious, cinematic thrillerObserverA talented storytellerThe TimesA cinematic epicDaily MailWhat if our only hope of survival becomes our greatest threat? From the brilliant, bestselling author ofChild 44comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable. The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist Antarctica.Cold Peoplefollows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity''s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope,Cold Peopleis a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith '';A remarkable achievement'' Jeffery Deaver'';Amazing'' Lee Child'';Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling'' Mark Billingham'';Truly original and chilling'' Jojo Moyes'';Tom Rob Smith''s mastery of suspense will make any reader''s heart pound'' Financial Times'';A thrilling, intense piece of fiction'' Observer'';Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story'' New York Times'';Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying''Daily Mail'';A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat''Stylist'';A powerful page-turner''GQ'';Taut and atmospheric''Irish Independent'';Masterly... read this and shiver''Telegraph

OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLDAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IN OVER 30 LANGUAGES A THRILLER UNLIKE ANY YOU HAVE EVER READ MOSCOW, 1953. Under Stalin''s terrifying regime, families live in fear. When the all-powerful State claims there is no such thing as crime, who dares disagree? An ambitious secret police officer, Leo Demidov believes he''s helping to build the perfect society. But when he uncovers evidence of a killer at large a threat the state won''t admit exists Demidov must risk everything, including the lives of those he loves, in order to expose the truth. But what if the danger isn''t from the killer he is trying to catch, but from the country he is fighting to protect?Nominated for seventeen international awards and inspired by a real-life investigation, CHILD 44 is a relentless story of love, hope and bravery in a totalitarian world. From the screenwriter of the acclaimed television series, THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY.

Soviet Union, 1956: Stalin is dead. With his passing, a violent regime is beginning to fracture - leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. The catalyst comes when a secret manifesto composed by Stalins successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant and a murderer. Its promise: The Soviet Union will transform. But there are forces at work that are unable to forgive or forget Stalins tyranny so easily, that demand revenge of the most appalling nature. Meanwhile, former MGB officer Leo Demidov is facing his own turmoil. The two young girls he and his wife Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his involvement in the murder of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa and their family are in grave danger from someone with a grudge against Leo. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.

Former Soviet Secret Service agent Leo Demidov has built himself a new life as a civilian with his wife Raisa, and their two teenage daughters, Elena and Zoya. The Soviet Union is a country trying to reassert itself after the murderous excesses of Stalin and the chaos of the following years, and as the Cold War continues powers inside Russia seek to topple their great enemy, the United States of America. Communist allies within the United States will prove vital players in this game of intrigue and revolution. Raisa and their two daughters travel to the United States on a diplomatic mission, but a horrifying tragedy destroys everything Leo and Raisa have built. Exiled from the Soviet Union and separated from his family, Leo''s quest takes him through the stark wilderness of Afghanistan, reawakening all his old instincts and forcing him to confront his demons.

Former Soviet Secret Service agent Leo Demidov has built himself a new life as a civilian with his wife Raisa, and their two teenage daughters, Elena and Zoya. The Soviet Union is a country trying to reassert itself after the murderous excesses of Stalin and the chaos of the following years, and as the Cold War continues powers inside Russia seek to topple their great enemy, the United States of America. Communist allies within the United States will prove vital players in this game of intrigue and revolution. Raisa and their two daughters travel to the United States on a diplomatic mission, but a horrifying tragedy destroys everything Leo and Raisa have built. Leo must get to the States somehow and find out what happened. Exiled from the Soviet Union and separated from his family, Leo''s quest takes him through the stark wilderness of Afghanistan, reawakening all his old instincts and forcing him to confront his demons. But whatever it costs, wherever he must go, he will find Agent 6.

From the author of CHILD 44, soon to be a major film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman, comes an intricately-knitted thriller in the vein of John Le Carre''s A PERFECT SPY. Daniel believed that his parents were enjoying a peaceful retirement on a remote farm in Sweden, the country of his mother''s birth. But with a single phone call, everything changes. ''Your mother... she''s not well'', his father tells him. ''She''s been imagining things - terrible, terrible things.'' In fact, she has been committed to a mental hospital. Before Daniel can board a plane to Sweden, his mother calls: ''Everything that man has told you is a lie. I''m not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow.'' Presented with a horrific crime, a conspiracy that implicates his own father, Daniel must examine the evidence and decide: who is telling the truth, his mother or his father? And he has secrets of his own that for too long he has kept hidden... ''Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling. You will not read a better thriller this year'' MARK BILLINGHAM ''On rare occasions, an author pulls off the high-wire act of writing a crime-oriented novel that easily transcends the genre. The Farm is one of these... A remarkable achievement'' JEFFERY DEAVER ''Tom Rob Smith has created a truly original and chilling thriller, which makes you ask yourself: who would I believe?'' JOJO MOYES TOM ROB SMITH is the bestselling author of Man Booker-longlisted CHILD 44, a multi-million-copy bestseller and now a major film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman. THE SECRET SPEECH and AGENT 6, both bestsellers, complete the trilogy.

'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer'A talented storyteller' The Times'A cinematic epic' Daily MailWhat if the only hope for survival becomes the greatest threat?From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable.The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith‘A remarkable achievement’ Jeffery Deaver‘Amazing’ Lee Child‘Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling’ Mark Billingham‘Truly original and chilling’ Jojo Moyes‘Tom Rob Smith’s mastery of suspense will make any reader’s heart pound’ Financial Times‘A thrilling, intense piece of fiction’ Observer‘Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story’ New York Times‘Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying’ Daily Mail‘A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat’ Stylist‘A powerful page-turner’ GQ‘Taut and atmospheric’ Irish Independent‘Masterly... read this and shiver’ Telegraph

'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer'A talented storyteller' The Times'A cinematic epic' Daily MailWhat if the only hope for survival becomes the greatest threat?From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable.The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith‘A remarkable achievement’ Jeffery Deaver‘Amazing’ Lee Child‘Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling’ Mark Billingham‘Truly original and chilling’ Jojo Moyes‘Tom Rob Smith’s mastery of suspense will make any reader’s heart pound’ Financial Times‘A thrilling, intense piece of fiction’ Observer‘Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story’ New York Times‘Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying’ Daily Mail‘A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat’ Stylist‘A powerful page-turner’ GQ‘Taut and atmospheric’ Irish Independent‘Masterly... read this and shiver’ Telegraph

'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer'A talented storyteller' The Times'A cinematic epic' Daily MailWhat if our only hope of survival becomes our greatest threat? From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable. The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.Praise for Tom Rob Smith ‘A remarkable achievement’ Jeffery Deaver‘Amazing’ Lee Child‘Chilling, hypnotic and thoroughly compelling’ Mark Billingham‘Truly original and chilling’ Jojo Moyes‘Tom Rob Smith’s mastery of suspense will make any reader’s heart pound’ Financial Times‘A thrilling, intense piece of fiction’ Observer‘Ingeniously plotted... a high voltage story’ New York Times‘Perfectly plotted, utterly terrifying’ Daily Mail‘A mind-blowing, addictive plot that will have you on the edge of your seat’ Stylist‘A powerful page-turner’ GQ‘Taut and atmospheric’ Irish Independent‘Masterly... read this and shiver’ Telegraph

TWO MEN. TWENTY YEARS. ONE PROPOSAL.Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they’ve built a life together. They’ve created a home. The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal.But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life. Luis loves Danny, but does he love marriage?And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart. Can their love survive the ultimate test? And is a yes still worth fighting for after twenty years together?Tender, romantic, and beautifully written, Twenty Years Together is a love story for the ages, by the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44.

TWO MEN. TWENTY YEARS. ONE PROPOSAL.Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they’ve built a life together. They’ve created a home. The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal.But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life. Luis loves Danny, but does he love marriage?And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart. Can their love survive the ultimate test? And is a yes still worth fighting for after twenty years together?Tender, romantic, and beautifully written, Twenty Years Together is a love story for the ages, by the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44.PRAISE FOR TOM ROB SMITH:‘Tob Rob Smith has delivered a classic love story…funny, gorgeous, and quietly revolutionary’ SYDNEY ARTS GUIDE‘Simply told, profoundly felt … [an] exquisite love story … tender, funny, humane’ THE SUNDAY POST‘A powerful read’ HEAT

TWO MEN. TWENTY YEARS. ONE PROPOSAL.Danny and Luis have been a couple for decades. Piece by piece, they've built a life together. They've created a home.The only thing they didn't have was a marriage. When they met, it was illegal.But the law finally changes, and Danny decides to propose - on a Scottish hilltop, to the love of his life.Luis lovesDanny, but does he love marriage?And, as the past begins to catch up to them both, everything they have worked for begins to fall apart.Can their love survive the ultimate test? And is a yes still worth fighting for after twenty years together?Tender, romantic, and beautifully written, Twenty Years Togetheris a love story for the ages, by the multi-million copy bestselling author of Child 44.PRAISE FOR TOM ROB SMITH:';Tob Rob Smith has delivered a classic love storyfunny, gorgeous, and quietly revolutionary' SYDNEY ARTS GUIDE';Simply told, profoundly felt [an] exquisite love story tender, funny, humane' THE SUNDAY POST';A powerful read' HEAT

Moscow, 1956. A society trying to recover from a time when the police were corrupt and the innocent arrested as criminals. Detective Leo Demidov, former Secret Police Officer, is forced to ask whether the wrongs of the past can ever be forgiven. Trying to solve a series of brutal murders that grip the capital, he must decide if this is savagery or justice. Quickly it becomes apparent that Leo himself - and his family - are in danger from someone intent on revenge. Desperate to save those he loves, he is offered salvation from an unexpected source - and at a terrible price. From the streets of Moscow in the throes of political upheaval, to the Siberian gulags and the Hungarian uprising in Budapest, The Secret Speechis a breathtaking novel that confirms Tom Rob Smith as one of the most exciting authors writing today.

Moscow, 1965. When Leo Demidov's worst fears are realised and a tragic murder destroys everything he loves, he demands only one thing: that he is allowed to find the killer who has struck at the heart of his family. Crippled by grief, his request denied, Leo sees no other option than to take matters into his own hands, even though he is thousands of miles from the crime scene. In a thrilling story that takes us from the backstreets of 1960s New York to the mountains of Afghanistan in the '80s, Leo will stop at nothing as he hunts the one person who knows the truth: Agent 6.

If you refuse to believe me, I will no longer consider you my son... Daniel believed that his parents were enjoying a peaceful retirement on a remote farm in Sweden, the country of his mother''s birth. But with a single phone call, everything changes. Your mother... she''s not well, his father tells him. She''s been imagining things - terrible, terrible things.In fact, she has been committed to a mental hospital. Before Daniel can board a plane to Sweden, his mother calls: Everything that man has told you is a lie. I''m not mad... I need the police... Meet me at Heathrow.Daniel is immediately caught between his parents - whom to believe, whom to trust? He becomes his mother''s unwilling judge and jury. Presented with a horrific crime, a conspiracy that implicates his own father, Daniel must examine the evidence and decide for himself: who is telling the truth? And he has secrets of his own that for too long he has kept hidden...

Starring Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Rampling and Jim Broadbent, this gripping, contemporary, emotional thriller from Tom Rob Smith, bestselling author of Child 44 and The Farm, tells the story of a chance romance between two people from very different worlds.   Danny – gregarious, hedonistic and romantic – falls in love with the enigmatic and brilliant Alex.   Then Alex disappears. When Danny finds Alex’s body, he is forced to pursue the truth behind his death.   This volume of complete scripts is a brilliant companion to the ratings-winning BBC1 series first shown in November 2015 and set for DVD release in May 2016.   

DON'T MISS THE NEW TOM ROB SMITH NOVEL, COLD PEOPLE, OUT NOW!THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. INCLUDING A FOREWORD FROM JOSEPH KANON.OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLDMOSCOW, 1953.Under Stalin’s terrifying regime, families live in fear. When the all-powerful State claims there is no such thing as crime, who dares disagree?AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER IN OVER 30 LANGUAGESAn ambitious secret police officer, Leo Demidov believes he’s helping to build the perfect society. But when he uncovers evidence of a killer at large – a threat the state won’t admit exists – Demidov must risk everything, including the lives of those he loves, in order to expose the truth.A THRILLER UNLIKE ANY YOU HAVE EVER READBut what if the danger isn’t from the killer he is trying to catch, but from the country he is fighting to protect?Nominated for seventeen international awards and inspired by a real-life investigation, CHILD 44 is a relentless story of love, hope and bravery in a totalitarian world. From the screenwriter of the acclaimed television series, THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY.

* “A zany, wildly gripping, dark futuristic fantasy.” —Vogue, Most Anticipated Books of the Year * “Fascinating…a propulsive ride…through a well-built world.” —The Christian Science Monitor * From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 and creator of the FX series Class of ’09 comes a “cinematic” (The Washington Post), “captivating…[and] “brilliantly conceived postapocalyptic story” (Booklist, starred review) about an Antarctic colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilization under the most extreme conditions imaginable.The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist…Antarctica. Cold People follows the perilous journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold? Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a “spellbinding…speculative masterpiece” (Library Journal, starred review) that’s “chilling in so many ways” (Los Angeles Times).