Desert places : a novel of terror / Blake Crouch.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

One tranquil May evening, semi-famous novelist Andrew Thomas strolls down his long gravel drive to check his mail-box. Inside is a note: 'Greetings. There is a body buried on your property, covered in your blood. The unfortunate young lady's name is Rita Jones. In her jeans pocket you'll find a slip of paper with a phone number on it. You have one day to call that number. If I have not heard from you by 8 p.m. tomor-row, the police department will receive an anonymous call. (I do believe a paring knife is missing from your kitchen.)' Andrew Thomas at first thinks this message is just a mischievous prank. He's wrong. And soon he's going to be very, very scared. Desert Places is a breathless, keep-you-up-all-night page-turner by a stunningly gifted newcomer to the suspense scene. This is a novel that, for better or worse, readers will never for-get, and Blake Crouch is without a doubt a hot, new thriller writer to remember.