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No One's Home

D.M. Pulley (Goodreads Author)

4.09 · Rating details · 637 ratings · 87 reviews

For fans of The Haunting of Hill House comes a dark tale of a mansion haunted by a legacy of tragedy and a family trapped by lies.

Margot and Myron Spielman move to a new town, looking for a fresh start and an escape from the long shadow of their past. But soon after they buy Rawlingswood, a foreclosed mansion rumored to be haunted, they realize they’re in for more of the s ...more

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Paperback, 400 pages

Published September 1st 2019 by Thomas & Mercer

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4.09 ·

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· 637 ratings · 87 reviews

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Aug 04, 2019 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved reading this book. And if I had had the time to read this in one sitting, then I most certainly would have done. Chilling, spooky, and mind-bending, this book had me hooked from the beginning. I'm not normally scared by books and don't have much time for horror stories yet, this book from Pulley was brilliant.

It's a complicated narrative that is presented to us. Readers follow several families and their experiences of living at Rawlingswood. At first I found this quite complicated to fol I loved reading this book. And if I had had the time to read this in one sitting, then I most certainly would have done. Chilling, spooky, and mind-bending, this book had me hooked from the beginning. I'm not normally scared by books and don't have much time for horror stories yet, this book from Pulley was brilliant.

It's a complicated narrative that is presented to us. Readers follow several families and their experiences of living at Rawlingswood. At first I found this quite complicated to follow and had to keep reminding myself of which backstory belonged where. This is where I think reading this story totally uninterrupted would really benefit readers. (On the other hand, savouring the story and delaying the pleasure is never a bad thing when it comes to books!) The narrative jumps around in history, following the lives of the different families who have lived in this troubled mansion. Answers are never properly given, meaning you are always trying to piece together a complex puzzle. The non-linear narrative means that gradually you begin to understand how earlier events lead into more present day occurrences; the reader is playing a detective role not too dissimilar to Hunter, the teenager currently living with his parents in Rawlingswood.

The writer definitely follows the mantra of "show, don't tell" in this novel. I enjoyed the ambiguity of it all and revelled in discovering the secrets in the walls of the mansion. Present day, and the Spielman's are clearly troubled. They bring wealth to the mansion, along with a wealth of secrets. Sympathising with how Hunter was treated by his parents, I found myself urging him to start investigating sooner into the ghostly, spooky happenings that are going on.

This is a ghostly story and I was literally covered in goosebumps at times! Reading this often at night, the story continued to play on in my head, even when I had put the book down. It was excellently written and, even if it was about hauntings and ghosts, Pulley has presented the narrative in a very believable fashion. The clever tricks of disguising ideas and encouraging readers to follow certain stories is definitely aided by the jumbled narrative, but this is what makes it all the more engrossing.

If I hadn't already found a scary book for my Book Bingo, then this would easily have fulfilled that category. I feel like this story will literally haunt me for a few more days to come, I enjoyed it that much. It was so easy to immerse yourself into this spooky house and I could really hear every ghostly footstep, door slam and chilling breath. And even that just makes me want to quickly check over my shoulder...

Don't miss out on this book. If you can't read it just yet, then certainly put it aside and have it ready for Halloween. ...more

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Sep 15, 2019 Jayme rated it really liked it

Haunted: (of a place) frequented by a ghost. Synonyms, possessed, cursed, jinxed.
(a person) having or showing signs of mental anguish or torment.

14895 Lee Road, originally known as Rawlingswood.
Five Families: All haunted...

Rawlings : 1922-1931
Bell: 1936-1972
Klussman: 1972-1990
Martin: 1994-2016

R.I.P. Rest In Peace

Spielman: 2018-?

The Spielman family is looking for a fresh start and the price is right, so they ignore the rumors, the disrepair and the graffiti, and spare no expense ...more

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Sep 15, 2019 Jayme rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, thrillers-mystery-and-crime

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Aug 07, 2019 Judy Collins rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-arc, top-books-of-2019, books-read-in-2019, 2019-releases, q-a-with-author, dm-pulley

OUTSTANDING!!!!! 5 Stars ++++ So excited about my upcoming Elevator Q&A with the Author, coming Sept 1. 📢 More coming; however, some quick notes. I just finished and cannot stop thinking about these characters. You "must" read this book!!!

NO ONE'S HOME is brilliantly written. 🏆 One of the "Best" haunted house suspense thrillers I have ever read! I mean EVER! D. M. Pulley's "Best" yet.💕 I do not even read horror, nor supernatural, but this is NOT that kind of book. It is so much more. Once ...more

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Aug 03, 2019 Alayne Emmett rated it it was amazing

This book was creepy throughout and sometimes it really scared me, I’m not easily scared when I read a book but, this one had so much atmosphere written into it that I was at times unnerved by it.
If you like a ghostly novel then this one is for you. My thanks to Prime First Reads for this free e book in return for an honest review.

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Jul 28, 2019 Katherine rated it it was amazing

Myron and Margot Martin just landed the deal of the century on a new home. The house, more of a mansion than a house, is a mess but Myron sees the potential not just for renovations, but also for a fresh start for his family but Rawlingswood has a complicated past of its own, evidenced not just in the physical damage done to the house over the years, but also by the cryptic graffiti that covers nearly every wall. As the Martins dig into a full-scale renovation, the house begins to peel back its ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Kevin Dowson rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars - not quite 4, but certainly better than average.

A good suspenseful tale. It's a ghost story; no, wait, it isn't; oh, hang on, maybe it is....you get the idea. It's definitely a haunted house story, but whether the haunting is supernatural or not, well, things are not always what they seem.

To be honest, this was a difficult read at times (which is probably why I teetered towards 3 stars instead of 4), with the constant flitting around between different time zones and characters. It was ...more

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Aug 07, 2019 Marjorie rated it liked it

3.5 Stars

This was a pretty good book that, initially, certainly ratcheted up the tension. With multiple storylines centred around the history of the sprawling Rawlingswood mansion. It seems that the house is plain old bad news and that nobody has ever been happy here - well, almost nobody.

For me, it was just a shame that the final reveal felt like a bit of a cop out. From the identity of the shadowy girl that seems to be haunting the mansion and the Spielman's to the secret, literally, buried in ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Yvonne rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars rounded down

This was my Amazon First Reads pick for August. I don’t normally read this genre, but it seemed the best offering for that month. It’s inspired by historical events, which generally adds an extra layer of realism to fiction, and advance reviews claims it is similar to The Haunting of Hill House, which I’ve not seen or read, so unfortunately, I can’t judge.

The premise revolves around the troubled Spielman family, and their issues, who have relocated and bought the old and d 3.5 stars rounded down

This was my Amazon First Reads pick for August. I don’t normally read this genre, but it seemed the best offering for that month. It’s inspired by historical events, which generally adds an extra layer of realism to fiction, and advance reviews claims it is similar to The Haunting of Hill House, which I’ve not seen or read, so unfortunately, I can’t judge.

The premise revolves around the troubled Spielman family, and their issues, who have relocated and bought the old and deeply scarred Rawlingswood House, hoping for a fresh start. As they begin a huge refurbishment, it is creepily apparent this house has a hugely disturbing history, and Hunter, the family’s teenage son, decides to investigate.

The book has a layered and quite complicated narrative, taking place in multiple time periods, spanning from when the house was built to the present day as it follows the Spielman’s and each of the families who have lived at Rawlingswood. However, as the families are quite distinct, albeit it a little one-dimensional, I found it fairly straightforward to follow.

I really enjoyed that Rawlingswood feels like the main character of this book, with its layers of history peeling back as you read about each family’s experiences. Having a non-linear structure also that ensures that little puzzle pieces are slowly revealed for you to try and fit into the bigger picture of what is really going on with this very strange house.

I did struggle to connect with most of the characters though, being unlikeable or unremarkable, and I cared more about the house than the Spielman's story. Although the history of the land etc does add to the spookiness, there is a little too much of it, and that detracts from the main mystery. It’s also a bit too long and drags a little towards the end.

However, it was an entertaining read that is more mysterious and haunting than scary. All is definitely not as it seems, which was quite surprising, and I can easily imagine this being quite an atmospheric film. ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Leah rated it really liked it

Such a fun, spooky story to kick off fall! This one took me a few days to finish - not because it was a bad book...but because I'm a total chicken and once the sun dipped below the treetops, I couldn't keep reading!

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Aug 07, 2019 Kate Lowe rated it it was amazing

Atmospheric. Intriguing. Haunting. Sent chills down my spine more than once and left me searching the shadows for a glimpse of white night gown! Highly recommended for fans of horror everywhere!

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Sep 04, 2019 Patti Pringle rated it it was amazing

Such a great haunted house book. Creepy but not scary. Wonderful characters. Highly recommend.

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Aug 09, 2019 TheFormerAstronomer rated it liked it · review of another edition

3 stars feels a bit mean but 4 stars is too many - call it 3.5 stars.

This was a pretty entertaining read. I think maybe it was just slightly too long, and there was what felt like a bait-and-switch about 50% in where the story changed to something slightly different. However, the way the author revealed the parts of the ‘past’ stories and tied them to the present story was very well done.

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Aug 04, 2019 Coral Chanel (Reading Starlight) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Spoiler free review

Really enjoyed this book, the author did really well in telling multiple layered stories which all tied together for an ultimate purpose.

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Sep 09, 2019 LittleDeadRedGoddessPersephone rated it it was amazing

5 out of 5

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I first found D.M. Pulley back in 2014 when I found The Dead Key on Amazon as a Amazon Unlimited offer and I was immediately impressed. The Dead Key was in my top five books of that year as it was such a different type of book. When I saw that this book was up for an advanced read I know I had to read it and I am so glad that I did! If you are looking 5 out of 5

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I first found D.M. Pulley back in 2014 when I found The Dead Key on Amazon as a Amazon Unlimited offer and I was immediately impressed. The Dead Key was in my top five books of that year as it was such a different type of book. When I saw that this book was up for an advanced read I know I had to read it and I am so glad that I did! If you are looking for a good, haunted house book just in time for spooky season (which for me starts in the middle of August because I am that obsessed with Autumn and Halloween!) Then this book is for you! If I had the time to binge this book in one day I would have. As it is I did finish it in two!

There is something about Rawlingswood Manor that captivates potential buyers so much they feel that they must have it. Built in Shaker Heights in 1922 for the Rawlings family who became the first victims of the mansion. From there every family that has lived in the house has been doomed. Long held secrets come out,hidden resentments drive families apart and not every comes out of it alive. You see, Rawlingswood was built on sacred ground, a terrible miscarriage of justice took place there and the long forgotten victims are watching and waiting.

Into all of this comes the Spielman family, desperate for a fresh start Myron is sure that this will solve all of their issues. It will help Margot to finally be happy again. Their son Hunter will be happy and they will be a whole family again. Margot is not so sure. She doesn't want leave Boston and she resents her husband for forcing this to happen. She also does't like the idea of moving into a "Murder House" as the graffiti on the walls warned. She finally agrees as long as she can renovate the home. Renovations of course do not go smoothly as there are injuries and strange happenings to the point that many workers leave and never return.

Shortly after the family arrive things begin to happen. Things are being moved, food disappears and there seems to be a presence. They all seem to catch a glimpse of a blonde girl in white. There is also a strange feeling that they are being watched. As fifteen year old Hunter's parents begin to slowly fall apart he begins to look into the house's dark history.

The narrative jumps back and forth in time to the various families that have lived there and what became of them. I didn't find it to be confusing at all though because before each chapter we are informed of the year and the family that we are visiting at the moment.

Not all the characters are likable and I must stress that I really hated Myron Spielman so much! Benny and Hunter were fantastic characters and the story was so well written. I don't get scared easily this book really had an effect on me. I was pretty spooked the whole time I read this.

If you like The Haunting of Hill House then you will like this. I found myself openly crying during a few parts and I have not stopped thinking about it since I finished it last night. ...more

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Sep 10, 2019 Ben rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received a free copy of “No One’s Home” via Net Galley, ebook edition.
If Ms.Pulley has written a dull book, I have not found it. When you pick up “ No One’s Home” be ready to drawn into a swirling darkness that will keep you fixed on the ominous house in Shaker Heights , Ohio.
The author pays homage in her forward to Shirley Jackson’s classic, “House on Haunted Hill”, and rightly so. But while the group who entered that house chose to be subjects of a paranormal experiment, the families who liv I received a free copy of “No One’s Home” via Net Galley, ebook edition.
If Ms.Pulley has written a dull book, I have not found it. When you pick up “ No One’s Home” be ready to drawn into a swirling darkness that will keep you fixed on the ominous house in Shaker Heights , Ohio.
The author pays homage in her forward to Shirley Jackson’s classic, “House on Haunted Hill”, and rightly so. But while the group who entered that house chose to be subjects of a paranormal experiment, the families who lived in the house of this book did not know what was waiting for them. Neither will the reader. I do not intend to drop any spoilers in summarizing the story, so this might is a general appreciation. No way will I ruin the book for future readers.
There are three families in the history of the house: the first ,the Rawlings, built the mansion in the 1920’s and named it grandiosely, “ Rawlingswood.” The Klussmans bought it thirty years later in 1929 and then then the Spilemans in 2018, by which time The stately mansion had been empty for some time and had the nickname, “ The Murder House.”
When the book opens, the Spielman family is being shown the house by a realtor. The house had fallen into disrepair,but it retained hints of its former grandeur, and it was dirt cheap in a very good location. So, despite so reservation the Spielmans become the new owners.
Ms. Pulley tells the story of the house through them and how what happened to each of the families successively affected the following. Note that the novel is not a Stephen King gore and obscenity laced tome. The author’ characters are interesting, conflicted and troubled, yes, but very human. The dark secret of the house and what is behind it is hidden while the author distracts the reader by getting us to focus on her left hand, the everday issues of a somewhat dysfunctional family, while the right is setting us up for a completely terrifying yet satisfying ending.
Summary: Very good, absorbing and highly entertaining.
Trigger warnings for the snowflakes who read cozy, knit nook cat mysteries: “No One’s Home” is a psychological horror novel, so expect to be surprised by things that creak in the night. ...more

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Sep 08, 2019 Once Upon a Ravenclaw rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, mystery, thriller, historical-fiction, contemporary

I rate this book perhaps a 6/10. It was not quite what I was hoping for but still good, worth reading if you like contemporary mysteries. In this book you'll go through the lives of all that have lived in the house before the Spielmans' and why one might consider it to be a haunted house. Is the Spielman family going through something otherworldly or is there a more simply explanation? Why did they move away from their old home in Boston in the first place? To understand you have to let all the ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Terrie Case rated it it was amazing

Shelves: giveaways

I am a huge fan of D.M. Pulley and this book is arguably the best.

The home on Lee Rd. in Shaker Heights, Ohio was built by the Rollingsworths in the 1920s. It stands a magnificent shell of the original residence when Margot and Myron Spielman decide to buy it in 2018. The house is in shambles from disrepair, theft and neglect. After restoring part of the three-story estate, the Spielman’s and their son, Hunter, make it their new home. Secrets buried and the glimpses of unusual sightings make the ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Hayley-Marie Haynes-Ward rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Outstanding! Expertly crafted layers of storytelling.

A psychological thriller that makes you question everything!
A deeply wounded family buy a seemingly bargain in a destitute house, but what of it's history? What IS going bump in the night?

This is an excellent novel, the story layering is seamless, from past to future and in reverse, I flew through this book eager for the next page, the next revelation.
I felt the utter helplessness of Benny, knowing, seeing and being unable to just say all thes ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Chloe Cuthbert rated it it was amazing

If you’re a fan of the horror or ghost/hauntings genre, this novel is not to be missed. Fraught with images of past horrors hidden in every corner, the house itself is a story untold, waiting to unfold.

Rawlingswood is nestled in what should be the safe neighborhood of Shaker Heights, outside Cleveland, Ohio. But like most so-called safe suburbs, there’s a darker history there than meets the eye. Built upon an old cult ground, the Rawlingswood home has a sinister history that appears to continue ...more

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Sep 01, 2019 Mary Perkowski rated it it was amazing

WARNING: You simply will not want to stop reading this book!

"From the outside, no one would suspect a thing." I was hooked from this first line! D.M. Pulley has done it again by crafting a suspenseful and eerie story that I simply could not put down. When I wasn't reading it, I was wondering where the plot would go next. D.M. draws you immediately into her characters' lives and they become your reality until the very last page.

Do you believe some homes have a life of their own? The one in "No On ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Michelle Reardon rated it it was amazing

This outstanding thriller tells the story of a house, Rawlingswood, and its occupants of four different families, and then some, spanning 80+years, from 1922 to now. The home has experienced family sadness and death throughout the years.

in 2018, Hunter, a shy awkward teenager, moves from Boston with his parents. The house is ramshackle and sorely in need of repairs and updates. Shocked and a little frightened by the sounds of footsteps in the attic, the presence of someone or something in his ro ...more

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Sep 08, 2019 Brandi Aga rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-and-netgalley

Welcome to Hell House!

Dead girl!

Hmmm. Not my favorite ghost read. The description of fans of Hill House show/book really hooked me, however, after the description of the house and strange things happening that’s really as far as that went for me. In fact, I might have liked it more had this not even been suggested. I found myself comparing this and that to Hill House and it just didn’t fit right.

I wasn’t a fan of the back and forth timeline. I found myself rushing ahead just to get back to the ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Jodi rated it it was amazing

No One's Home is a wonderful combination of history and mystery. It becomes very clear that horrible things happened in the Rawlingswood house. At a leisurely pace, with multiple perspectives, DM Pulley lets them unfold. Five families lived in the Rawlingswood house in Ohio. The most recent, the Spielmans, are escaping trouble and heartbreak that they'd encountered in Boston. Teenage son Hunter, bored and at loose ends during the summer he moves in, makes it his business to find out what all the ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Stella rated it really liked it

A ghost story - sort of.... A family drama - totally.

D.M Pulley created a house full of pain, mystery and families of all kind. From the beginning, Rawlingswood has its problems. It's a house built with dirty money, on sacred ground. Each family brings their own set of problems - from bootlegging to murder to drugs to other things that I can't talk about because it spoils part of the story. No One's Home is full of mystery and twists that leave you a bit breathless and wanting more.

I've not tal ...more

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Sep 10, 2019 T.J. Fox rated it really liked it

Overall: 3.5/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5 Stars
Believability: 3.5/5 Stars
Personal Opinion: 3.5/5 Stars

This definitely has a creepy vibe, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

This spends a lot of time bouncing between time periods and the families that owned the house during those periods. While you get those ghostly elements throughout, the focus is more on the family dynamics of all of these really dysfunctional people and how ugly humans can be to each other and themselves.

If you are like me and ...more

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Sep 05, 2019 Gavin Griffiths rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is no ordinary haunted house story! You may think that when you start, by the end you’ll never believe what you’ve just read, extremely good.

When I started this, thinking it was another haunted house story, I quickly saw the patterns that you often find in those types of books. Believe me this is no ordinary haunted house story, you will not be ready for what happens, and unfurls as you read. Without saying too much, read to the end! It’s brilliant, you think you know what is going to happe ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Andy King rated it liked it

A good story spread across several decades, spooky and yet not a ghost story as such. There's enough mystery here for you to want to keep reading and find the answers to questions that you will ask. The writing does have some parts that pulled me out of the story, the author describes events or places that the current character focus of the story would not know but that the reader has learnt earlier on from other perspectives and this caused me to have to take a moment to remember how I knew tha ...more

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Sep 10, 2019 Kim rated it it was amazing

Wow!
When I first started reading this book I thought it was a horror, scary story. ( Sometimes I read books just because I like the cover and don't look into what the book is about) But It turned out to be an amazing, page turning mystery.
This is a story about a family moving to another state and buying an abandoned mansion and getting it remodeled. The teenage son starts digging into the history of the houses past owners and finds tragedy with every owner. As the story progresses his own family ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Mandy McHugh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorite reads, so the comp titles hooked me. An added bonus, I won this title as my first Goodreads Giveaway, so I was thrilled.

It's hard to do a good haunted house story. So many stereotypes and overused ghost story lines. But No One's Home is a layered experience with twists, turns, and psychological mind games. Spanning generations and narrators, the unexplained is untangled and re-knotted in several ways before the ending.

Solid character development. Ee ...more

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About D.M. Pulley

D.M. Pulley

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D.M. Pulley lives in northeast Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a dog named Hobo. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a Professional Engineer rehabbing historic structures and conducting forensic investigations of building failures. Pulley's structural survey of a vacant building in Cleveland inspired her debut novel, The Dead Key, the winner of the 2014 Amazon Breakthrou ...more