Book Feature: The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

One of the most intriguing debuts of 2021—A suspenseful, gender-bending reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s

An American Tragedy, written as a true crime docuseries

 

Read an Excerpt: CRIMEREADS

 

STARRED PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Remarkable debut . . . . Readers will breathlessly await the verdict.”

STARRED LIBRARY JOURNAL: “This riveting mock podcast docudrama ratchets up the suspense as readers glimpse every angle of the story from a 360–degree view.”

WASHINGTON POST: “THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE cruises along with nary a bump in the road.”

 

LR Dorn’s THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE (on sale May 11, 2021) captures the unbridled ambition and dark side of the American dream. In a gender-bending modern reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s 1925 classic, An American Tragedy, the narrative takes the form of a true crime docuseries with characters speaking through transcripts of recorded interviews.

 

Documentarian Duncan McMillan directs a suspenseful seven-part true crime series: The Three Lives of Cleo Ray. “It’s not enough just to ask questions and listen to the answers. We have to read between the lines to find the truth. Every one of us wants to be heard, but the words we speak are only the first clues. The real meanings often lie behind the words,” he says at the beginning of the series.

 

Cleo Ray is an enormously popular fitness coach and social media influencer.  She moved to LA as Claire but rebranded herself and gained hundreds of thousands of followers, a gorgeous boyfriend, and a glamorous circle of friends.  One summer day, Cleo and a young woman, Beck Alden, set off in a canoe on a quiet, picture-perfect mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, her face cut and bruised, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news about Cleo's involvement goes viral. Who was Beck and what was the nature of her and Cleo's relationship? Was Beck n infatuated follower who took things too far? If Cleo is innocent, why did she run? Was it an accident? Or murder?  As secrets come to light, it becomes clear just how much Cleo has sacrificed to get to the top-and how far the fall from grace will be. What lies ahead is the trial of the century.

The audio version of THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE will be performed by a star-studded cast including Santino Fontana, Shelby Young , Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hilary Huber, and Lisa Flanagan.

 

LR Dorn is the pen name for Suzanne Dunn and Matt Dorff. Suzanne grew up in Bucks County, PA, and received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.  They developed their collaboration while working as screenwriters in film and television. Matt is a Los Angeles native and a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. THE ANATOMY OF DESIRE is their debut novel. They live in California.
https://www.lrdorn.com/