Justine Champine's short fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Epoch, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and is a founding staff member of No Tokens Journal. She lives in New York City. Knife River is her first novel.

"This book really has it all: a murder mystery, complicated sister dynamics, a messy lesbian main character, and an even messier love interest. It's very dark and vibey, and explores the reverberations of the murder in a really smart, thoughtful way."--Gabrielle Korn, author of Yours for the Taking

"A haunting, slow burning novel full of atmosphere and heart ... Clever and beautifully written, it is a satisfying and moving read." --Araminta Hall, author of One Of the Good Guys

"Compelling."--Paste

"Knife River is a delicious smoke curl of a novel: atmospheric, sharp, and skilled at twisting the reader's guesses in unimaginable ways."--Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Knife River is an intelligent literary mystery with a rich sense of place and a clever plot; but it is Champine's keenly-observed depiction of the aftermath of tragedy and the corrosive impact of loss that sets this novel apart."--Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Intimately engrossing . . . Champine superbly combines the sisters' investigation with a thoughtful look at family bonds ... Champine's depiction of their evolving mental health and the impact of their mother's shadow elevates this tense and gripping novel."--Oline H. Cogdill for Shelf Awareness

"Knife River is a gorgeous, magnetic portrait of two sisters whose lives are shattered by the loss of their mother. Part mystery, part investigation into the nature of loss, this novel is both startlingly beautiful and unputdownable. Justine Champine has written a knockout debut."--Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Master

"Beautifully written, gripping and poignant, Knife River is a moving debut about love, women and buried secrets."--Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation

"With the wry, crackling humor of Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh, and a grip on the darkest, prickliest corners of human behavior, Knife River is completely singular in vision, skill, and oneiric, haunting atmosphere. Champine writes dykes, outsiders, and desire like no one else. Her work is transcendent."--T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls

"A twisting, engrossing, and beautiful mystery. Thrilling, yet also deeply moving, layered, and powerful."--Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark, a Read with Jenna Book Club pick as seen on Today

"Knife River is a twisty, intoxicating book. The beating heart of it is raw and tender, full of guilt and heartache and hope. It's a genuine and unsettling look at how loss can divide a family, but it's also a story about the long and difficult ways we finally make our way back home. Justine Champine is a very gifted writer and readers are going to be hooked on Knife River."--Kristen Arnett, author of With Teeth

"The relationship between the sisters . . . shines. . . . Suspenseful and surprisingly moving."--Kirkus Reviews

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Pub date: 2025-02-18

Length: 384 pages