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“A vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. One of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it.”
—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds
Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Genre: Mystery
—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds
Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"I love Duchess Day Radley so much I want to adopt her. She is every thirteen-year-old girl at risk, an outlaw both pure of heart and ill of intent, a fierce and melancholy girl, so memorable she will make camp in your brain and never leave. In We Begin at the End, Chris Whitaker has written a gorgeous, crystalline novel, a cautionary tale about the long shadows cast by our past selves, and one defiant girl with the bravery to hope for something better. I love this beautiful book." - Jeanine Cummins
"Chris Whitaker takes crime writing to new levels in this evocative and lyrical novel, which is not only beautifully written but cleverly plotted, with a climax you'll never guess." - Mark Edwards
"Chris Whitaker's third novel, We Begin at the End, is the kind of breakout book that publishers dream about. Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I've read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last. Nicely done, Mr. Whitaker!" - John Hart
"I LOVED it . . . so intricately, delicately written, with such care and affection for all the characters. I adored all the relationships and ALL the characters without exception . . . his descriptions are so vivid, so visual, so beautifully drawn.We Begin at the End is surely destined to conquer the world. This intensely captivating story and its uniquely intriguing characters holds you in its jaws till the very last word. Astonishingly good." - Ruth Jones
"An intense, evocative, and quite brilliant crime novel that stays with you long after you've finished the last page." - Simon Kernick
"The character of Duchess Day Radley is so beautifully written, she will remain with you for a long time." - Lynda La Plante
"An exceptionally beautiful and accomplished crime novel. I fell head over heels into its big black heart and will carry the characters with me for a long time to come yet. Duchess and Thomas Noble forever." - Ali Land
"Stunning, intoxicating, heart-breaking - without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year. A compelling story, beautifully-drawn characters and writing that leaps off the page: We Begin at the End is in a class of its own." - T M Logan
"A stunning and heartbreaking book - will keep you gripped until the last moving page." - Claire McGowan
"I hate this man. I mean, I really hate him because this is the sort of book that makes you feel like you're not trying hard enough as an author. Just amazing." - C J Tudor
"Chris Whitaker takes crime writing to new levels in this evocative and lyrical novel, which is not only beautifully written but cleverly plotted, with a climax you'll never guess." - Mark Edwards
"Chris Whitaker's third novel, We Begin at the End, is the kind of breakout book that publishers dream about. Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I've read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last. Nicely done, Mr. Whitaker!" - John Hart
"I LOVED it . . . so intricately, delicately written, with such care and affection for all the characters. I adored all the relationships and ALL the characters without exception . . . his descriptions are so vivid, so visual, so beautifully drawn.We Begin at the End is surely destined to conquer the world. This intensely captivating story and its uniquely intriguing characters holds you in its jaws till the very last word. Astonishingly good." - Ruth Jones
"An intense, evocative, and quite brilliant crime novel that stays with you long after you've finished the last page." - Simon Kernick
"The character of Duchess Day Radley is so beautifully written, she will remain with you for a long time." - Lynda La Plante
"An exceptionally beautiful and accomplished crime novel. I fell head over heels into its big black heart and will carry the characters with me for a long time to come yet. Duchess and Thomas Noble forever." - Ali Land
"Stunning, intoxicating, heart-breaking - without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year. A compelling story, beautifully-drawn characters and writing that leaps off the page: We Begin at the End is in a class of its own." - T M Logan
"A stunning and heartbreaking book - will keep you gripped until the last moving page." - Claire McGowan
"I hate this man. I mean, I really hate him because this is the sort of book that makes you feel like you're not trying hard enough as an author. Just amazing." - C J Tudor
Similar books by other authors
Used availability for Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End
Hardback Editions
April 2021 : USA Library Binding
March 2021 : USA Hardback
April 2020 : UK Hardback
Paperback Editions
March 2021 : USA Paperback
Title: We Begin at the End
Author(s): Chris Whitaker
ISBN: 1-250-79376-9 / 978-1-250-79376-8 (USA edition)
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Availability: Amazon CA
August 2020 : UK Paperback
April 2020 : UK Paperback
Audio Editions
March 2021 : USA Audio CD

Title: We Begin at the End
Author(s): Chris Whitaker
ISBN: 1-250-77861-1 / 978-1-250-77861-1 (USA edition)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Availability: Amazon
March 2021 : USA Audio edition
March 2021 : Canada Audio edition

Title: We Begin at the End
Author(s): Chris Whitaker
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Availability: Amazon CA
April 2020 : USA Audio edition
April 2020 : Australia Audio edition
April 2020 : UK Audio edition
Kindle Editions
March 2021 : USA, Canada Kindle edition
March 2020 : Australia, UK Kindle edition