Critical Praise

"In this brilliant novel, Scott Spencer further expands his range to embrace our relations with animalswith the loyal pets that consent to share our domestic lives, and with the darker, more alarming beasts that lurk within even the most compassionate and conscious human beings."

—Francine Prose

"A smart, haunting thriller with bass reverb and a pounding heart....Spencer transforms an eight thousand dollar gambling debt and a dog with two names into an enthralling literary ride....Spencer is an American master."

—Jayne Anne Phillips, author of the National Book Award finalist Lark and Termite

"Man in the Woods reveals the talent and confidence of a master story teller at the top of his game....Scott Spencer holds the reader to his terrifying account every step of the way. A page turner from beginning to end."

—Rudy Wurlitzer

"The novel is at its most compelling as it traces the evolution of Paul’s inner turmoil... the precision of Spencer’s eye for vibrant similes remains a pleasure throughout..."

—Philadelphia Inquirer

"This beautifully written novel is so much more than just a good read."

—USA Today

"This is a book poised to take its place as an American classic."

—Huffington Post

"Spencer has shown a powerful understanding of the price of passion. In this one, he explores the even more treacherous terrain of guilt, expiation, and longed-for salvation..."

—O magazine

"[Spencer] writes love stories with such beauty that you want to savor every surprising phrase, but his intense, intriguing plots propel you to race along the pages. He does it again in his new book, a complex novel... fresh, and compelling."

—Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Spencer, a deft explorer of obsessive love and violence, confronts the consequences of doing wrong for all the right reasons in his exquisite latest."

—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"[A] compelling setup and stunning conclusion...The depth of the characters, the questions they ask and the challenge they confront stay with the reader long after the conclusion."

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Spencer, a master of piercing insight and letter-perfect prose, tantalizes to the last climactic sentence of this compelling exploration of the wages of guilt."

—Booklist (starred review)

"We don’t often encounter novels that combine shrewd plotting, strong characters and gorgeous writing, but Scott Spencer’s Man in the Woods does precisely that."

—Washington Post