A novel by J.F. Penn

Death Valley

A merciless desert. An unstoppable storm. Time is running out.

Death Valley is the perfect place to disappear. Until the desert refuses to let you leave.

After a child died on a caving trip under her care, British adventure guide Casey Thornton fled to the widest sky she could find: the Desert Sanctuary, a luxury eco-resort where the wealthy buy wilderness without danger.

Then a colossal sandstorm seals the resort off from the world.

Inside, every guest is hiding something: a billionaire transfusing young blood in his war against ageing, an influencer ready to turn protest into sabotage, a celebrity hunter with a crate he should never have opened, and a head of security preparing for civilisation's collapse.

As the glass dome fractures and fire races through the hotel, a child vanishes into the storm, and Casey must lead her towards the only shelter left. The tunnels below.

For readers of The Island, The Drift, and the elite destination intrigue of The Club.

Death Valley book cover
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Available in ebook, paperback, foiled hardback, large print and audiobook. Buying direct supports the author most, and ships worldwide.

Reader reviews
“I couldn't stop listening to this fast-paced thriller set in a luxurious resort in Death Valley. This story included several characters who had secrets worth killing-or dying-for. A suspenseful, twisty story!”Lisa, Goodreads review
“A pure thriller ... fabulous.”Lizzie, Goodreads review
“A pulse-pounding thriller that blends psychological tension with action-packed survival drama.”Debbie, Goodreads review
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The real mysteries

The research behind the book

True story

Into Death Valley

Jo travelled the valley in November 2024: Badwater Basin, Artists Palette, Zabriskie Point. The real places run straight through the book.

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Night sky

The darkest skies in America

Death Valley is a certified dark-sky park, which is why the story ends at an observatory as dawn breaks.

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Longevity

Young blood

Parabiosis is real, and so are the billionaires who refuse to die. The true movement behind Maxwell's war against ageing.

History

The Timbisha Shoshone

The people of the valley, and the Spanish colonial history that shadows the fiction's buried mission.

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Books

The desert canon

Thesiger, Freya Stark, Robyn Davidson's Tracks: the desert-travel classics behind the novel, and flying over the Sahara aged four.

Fear

The dark underground

Jo has caved the Mendip Hills and hated it. Her own claustrophobia, and Robert Macfarlane's Underland, shaped Casey's wound.

Trailer