By Alan R. Warren • Special to The Current
Matt Birkbeck, best known for his gripping nonfiction bestsellers like ‘The Life We Chose’, ‘Deconstructing Sammy’, and the haunting ‘A Beautiful Child’ (which was adapted by Netflix for its acclaimed Girl in the Picture), makes a stunning leap into fiction with The Wicked—and what a leap it is.
The novel opens with a star reporter whose once-sharp investigative instincts have been dulled by years of glamor and excess. When he returns to the small town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, for the funeral of a Catholic priest, it feels, at first, like nothing more than a nostalgic detour. But when subtle inconsistencies about the priest’s death tug at his curiosity, the reporter’s dormant skills roar back to life. What follows is an electrifying descent into a place where the quaint façade of a charming tourist town masks unthinkable secrets rooted in its coal-mining past.
Birkbeck’s pacing is masterful—ratcheting tension scene by scene as the protagonist becomes entangled in a perilous investigation. The stakes are deeply personal: his search for the truth puts not only his career on the line, but also the life of the woman he loves—and ultimately his very soul.
What makes The Wicked so compelling is Birkbeck’s ability to merge the authenticity of investigative journalism with the suspense and emotional weight of fantastic fiction. His eye for detail, honed over decades of real-life reporting, gives the story a sense of realism that makes every twist and revelation hit harder. The setting of Jim Thorpe is vividly drawn—equal parts picturesque postcard and claustrophobic trap—which serves as the perfect backdrop for the novel’s blend of mystery, danger, and moral reckoning.
In his fiction debut, Birkbeck proves he’s as adept at crafting a taut, character-driven thriller as he is at dissecting true crime. The Wicked is a riveting, atmospheric page-turner that lingers in the mind long after the final chapter. Fans of investigative thrillers and layered mysteries will find themselves captivated from start to finish.
Matt Birkbeck hasn’t just written a first novel—he’s announced himself as a new and formidable voice in crime fiction.
Alan R. Warren is a bestselling author and host of NBC’s nationally syndicated “House of Mystery” radio Show.
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