The ingenious, twisty, emotionally absorbing story of a father who goes missing and his family’s desperate search to find him—a novel as suspenseful as it is moving—by the Edgar and International Thriller Writers Award-winning author of Miracle Creek.
HAPPINESS FALLS
by Angie Kim
Random House, Fall 2023
(via Writers House)
What follows is a ticking-clock story of shocking twists and fascinating questions about what defines us and who we really are. A mystery, a family drama, a novel of profound philosophical inquiry, HAPPINESS FALLS updates and expands the missing person story, turning inside out our expectations of the crime novel.
“Angie Kim has written that rare book that can change your entire outlook on the world. Part page-turning mystery, part meditation on the power of expectation, HAPPINESS FALLS will both open your eyes and tear your heart apart.” —Janelle Brown, bestselling author of I’ll Be You, Pretty Things, and Watch Me Disappear
“Angie Kim’s HAPPINESS FALLS is an exhilarating literary tour de force—one part mystery, one part family drama, one part interrogation of the meaning of happiness, it will introduce you to extraordinary characters whose lives will leave you forever changed. An incredible achievement.” —Danielle Trussoni, bestselling author of Angelology
“Angie Kim’s HAPPINESS FALLS is a sublime literary mystery that is a mesmerizing update to the missing person story, a layered and innovative exploration of family, love, happiness and race. With dazzling intellectual range and tremendous warmth, Kim makes us fall in love with this close-knit family while spinning her suspenseful and twisty tale. A gorgeous read that grips both heart and mind.” —Jean Kwok, bestselling author of Girl in Translation, Mambo in Chinatown, and Searching for Sylvie Lee
Angie Kim is a Korean immigrant, former editor of the Harvard Law Review, and debut author of the international bestseller and Edgar winner Miracle Creek, named a “Best Book of the Year” by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus, and The Today Show, among others. She has written for The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, and numerous literary journals.
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
Mistake number one: Fun-loving Jake tells his girlfriend Jessica that they have to go to Tegan’s end of summer party in their tiny California beach town. Jessica doesn’t like parties and she doesn’t like Tegan, who has an obvious, obsessive crush on Jake. But Jessica agrees to go, to make Jake happy. 
2017. West Londoner and comic Ayesha is just about finding her feet on the stand-up scene – but it’s hard when stuffy venues only let one minority act on the bill. Then, after her vocal reaction to a sexist heckler goes viral, she suddenly finds herself in the spotlight and welcomed into a group of seasoned activists, all committed to the fight against sexism and the patriarchy. Ayesha is funny, can write the scripts, get people to listen, but she doesn’t have the connections of these powerful women – especially veteran activist Frankie and performance artist India Baxter-Wright – and she’s in awe of them.
The bloody finale of Dave Gurney’s previous case has left him and his wife Madeleine shell-shocked and determined to return to normality. But when an old friend comes calling for Gurney’s insight on a cold case, it’s Madeleine who pushes him to lend his thoughts. Try as he might, Gurney can’t resist getting drawn into the murder case—this one, involving a debauched former tennis star and a beheaded corpse. His initial efforts incite fury from both sides of the law: the criminal forces behind it, and the law enforcement personnel who stand to lose everything if Gurney succeeds in uncovering the truth. For the first time in his life, Gurney finds himself on the run but even the risk of losing his marriage, his reputation and his best friend can’t stop his relentless quest for answers. Gurney will learn that justice comes at a great cost.