It is the summer of 1948 when a handsome, charismatic stranger, Charlie Beale, recently back from the war in Europe, shows up in the town of Brownsburg, a sleepy village nestled in the Valley of Virginia. All he has with him are two suitcases: one contains his few possessions, including a fine set of butcher knives; the other is full of money. A lot of money. Heading Out to Wonderful is a haunting, heart-stopping novel of love gone terribly wrong in a place where once upon a time such things could happen. In addition to his most recent novel, The Fall of Princes, Robert Goolrick is the author of three other books: The End of the World as We Know It, a memoir; his first novel, A Reliable Wife, with sales of more than 1 million copies; and his second novel, Heading Out to Wonderful. He lives in Virginia. "Doesn't disappoint."-John Searles, on NBC's "Today" "Fans of Goolrick's juicy debut novel A Reliable Wife-which spent 32 weeks on USA Today's Best-Selling Books list-can't wait for this follow-up."-USAToday.com "Deliciously dark and dangerous."-O, The Oprah Magazine "Within the heartbreak of this story, there is joy and beauty . . . In a year when so many of the books I've read have been lovely and memorable, Heading Out to Wonderful is my favorite. I could not possibly recommend it or any other book more highly."-Literate Housewife "Goolrick spins out his tale like a mountain ballad . . . Dreamers like Charlie will still try to blunder on to wonderful, and they're the ones whom poets will sing about and old men will remember." -Wilmington Star-News "Robert Goolrick vividly evokes two lovers doomed by their place and their past."-Richmond Times-Dispatch "[A] poetic tale that simmers with foreboding atmosphere."-Printers Row magazine, Chicago Tribune "[An] unforgettable story of lost and displaced souls in search of identity, acceptance and belonging . . . Goolrick (A Reliable Wife) masterfully ratchets up the tension, while evocative sensory detail and spiritual overtones infuse the emotional landscape of a powerful, climactic novel that seeks to define and explore the meaning of love and goodness."-Shelf Awareness "Robert Goolrick is a master of emotive, suspense-driven drama."-Flavorpill "Goolrick

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