"Lucien is a campus novel, a crime story, and a coming-of-age tale wrapped up in one stellar package by J. R. Thornton, whose gifts for plot, dialogue, and character are considerable." Air Mail

"Lucien is a vicious sendoff of class hierarchy, art world snobbery, and academic exclusivity, centered around a naive, struggling artist roped into his wealthy classmate's scheme to copy masterpieces, then sell them as the real thing. The book is already earning comparisons to Highsmith's work, and for good reason: Thornton delights in skewering society's upper echelons and has an enjoyably warped sense of characterization." - CrimeReads

"This is a pin-sharp page turner about what it takes to make it; we'd recommend for almost anyone except parents with students about to matriculate-they should maybe wait until after move-in day." Town & Country

"There's something special about Lucien Orsini-Conti, the charismatic enigma at the heart of this addictive thriller . . . . A wild ride readers won't soon forget. " - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lucien fits neatly into the genre of campus novel, alongside such classics as Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep, Donna Tartt's The Secret History (especially) and John Knowles' A Separate Peace . . . . Thornton captures the college scene with witty ease." Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Although the book opens with a mystery-what happened to Lucien?-readers should expect more of a coming-of-age campus novel than a thriller. Its themes, though they skew a bit dark, are simple and emotionally moving. Thornton's snappy dialogue drives characterization and plot as Chris' awkward, earnest voice highlights the strange rituals that define elite society. Chris's coming-of-age and exploration of class differences amidst mystery will appeal to . . . dark academia readers." Booklist

"The perils of hero-worship have rarely been demonstrated with such intensity and style." The London Times

"From the first encounter, the title character propels both narrative and narrator forward with an ever-looming anvil of class injustice waiting to drop. The book is rife with final clubs, art forgery, and a Gatsby-esque fascination with a subculture of the Harvard experience." Harvard Magazine

"A crisp, twisting tale in the hands of a writer in the bloom of his abundant talents." - Graydon Carter

"Lucien is an entertaining read-very much an oncoming car crash you can't look away from." The Gloss

"An intense character-driven thriller novel about using someone and the consequences of betrayal." - Red Carpet Crash

"Lucien is thrilling in every way-the propulsive narrative, the knife-sharp prose, the nuanced and multi-faceted characters, the unflinching exploration of class, ego, art, and authenticity. J.R. Thornton has married Succession with The Secret History, and the result is an utterly original and deeply affecting novel that lays bare the pressure and perils of privilege." - Bret Anthony Johnston, author of We Burn Daylight

"J.R. Thornton writes with precision and honesty about the fragile math of male friendship, where violence and love are pals, and vulnerability is the harbinger of rage. In a time when men are not supposed to feel anything, Lucien feels everything. It's an explosion of captivating, haunting, and utterly real emotion." - Patrick Somerville, creator of Station Eleven and author of The Cradle

"Fine art, forgery, young friendship, and the perils of greed-Lucien is a closely observed and finely crafted campus thriller." - Nick McDonell, author of Quiet Street

"An amazing piece of work, well written and clever but most of all, deeply honest and unvarnished." - Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of Revolutions and host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, on Beautiful Country

"Simple but wonderful . . . authentic, pure and heartbreaking . . . (Thornton) is an exceptionally gifted young writer." - Mo Yan, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature, on Beautiful Country

"Beautiful Country is, in a word, beautiful. A novel with morality at the center, but absurdity all around." - Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends and Super Sad True Love Story, on Beautiful Country