Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman delivers another absorbing thriller that sucks you in with vivid characters and great plotting. Felix Brewer had it all; a beautiful wife, three wonderful daughters and money, via a successful numbers racket. But when it finally came time to face the music, in 1976, Felix ran, leaving everything and everyone behind including a host of unanswered questions, a missing fortune and another woman.

A woman causes an accident on the Baltimore Beltway, flees the scene and is later picked up wandering on the shoulder of the Interstate. The accident occurs just a mile from the former home of the Bethany family, Dave and Miriam and their daughters Sunny and Heather. Thirty years before, twelve-year-old Heather persuaded her older sister Sunny to let her tag along on a visit to the mall. Neither of the girls has been seen since. Now, the woman on the Beltway claims to be Heather Bethany. Today she has a different name; a different identity. What has prompted this woman to announce her true - if it is true - identity at this moment? Laura Lippman deftly unpeels the layers of Heather''s past: revealing her parents, sister, friends, teachers, and the detective who handled the case, until the truth about what happened to Heather and Sunny on that long ago afternoon is finally uncovered.

Echoes Dennis Lehanes SHUTTER ISLAND and Alice Sebolds THE LOVELY BONES ... but surpasses themWashington PostA woman causes an accident on a major highway, flees the scene and is later picked up wandering on the shoulder of the Interstate. The accident occurs just a mile from the former home of the Bethany family. Thirty years before, twelve-year-old Heather persuaded her older sister Sunny to let her tag along on a visit to the mall. Neither of the girls has been seen since.Now, the woman on the Beltway claims to be Heather Bethany. Today she has a different name; a different identity. What has prompted this woman to announce her true - if it is true - identity at this moment? As the layers of Heathers past are revealed, secrets are discovered about her parents, sister, friends, teachers, and the detective who handled the case - until finally the shocking truth is uncovered about what really happened to Heather and Sunny on that long ago afternoon.

**NOW A MAJOR APPLE TV+ SERIES STARRING NATALIE PORTMAN AND MOSES INGRAM**A real triumph of storytelling and suspense.Daily MailA very special kind of twisted genius. SARAH HILARYComplex, hard-hitting and unflinchingIrish TimesAching, thoughtful, and compulsively readable.Vanity FairA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERCleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and the two sons she left behind, no one seems to have noticed. It isnt hard to understand why: its 1966 and neither the police, the public nor the papers care much when Negro women go missing.Maddie Schwartz - recently separated from her husband, working her first job as an assistant at the Baltimore Sun - wants one thing: a byline. When she hears about an unidentified body thats been pulled out of the fountain in Druid Hill Park, Maddie thinks she is about to uncover a story that will finally get her name in print. What she cant imagine is how much trouble she will cause by chasing a story that no-one wants her to tell.What readers are saying:***** A twisty, thrilling, mesmerising ride. I couldnt put it down!***** It was a delight reading this book. I enjoyed the insight into each character. The mystery was always there, but with a different twist.***** It really grabbed me. . . more than a simple detective novel.***** The absolute best Lippman to date. . . This novel grabbed me in the first pages and didnt let go.

WINNER OF THE eDUNNIT AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVELNOMINATED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGERDark, gleaming. Read it. GILLIAN FYNNNote perfect . . . Not to be missed. MEGAN ABBOTTOver the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other - dangerous, even lethal secrets.Then someone dies. Was it an accident or part of a plan? By now Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each others lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away - or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?Something - or someone - has to give.A superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck. Instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals - and cold-blooded murder.What readers are saying:***** Seriously twisted!***** Great characters and unpredictable story. A definite must!***** A stunning page turner. I could not put it down***** Best noir of the decade! Lippman has outdone herself

Both entertaining and unexpectedly touching. More Please. Baltimore SunA natural storyteller at the height of her powers. LEE CHILDA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERYAs a practised reporter until her newspaper went to that great pressroom in the sky, PI Tess Monaghan knows and loves every inch of her native Baltimore. Its a quirky city where baseball reigns, but lately homicide seems to be the second most popular local sport.Business tycoon Wink Wynkowski is trying to change all that by bringing pro basketball back to town, and everybodys rooting for him - until a devastating expose of his lurid past appears on the front page of the Baltimore Beacon-Light Its a surprise even to the newspapers editors, who thought theyd killed the piece. Instead, the piece killed Wink, whos found in his garage with the car running.Tess is hired to find the unknown computer hacker who planted the lethal story - but it doesnt take long for her to discover deeper, darker secrets. . .Exciting and complex. I read it in one day because I just couldnt stop. 5* reader reviewI thoroughly enjoy Lippmans writing style. . . it was a fun, wonderful time 5* reader reviewFun and suspense-filled. . . I highly enjoyed it! 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIESTess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next. Times Literary SupplementWhip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess! 5* reader reviewReaders wont be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimores famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre. BOOKLISTDigestible, fun, tense NPRIn this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insiders view of Baltimore. SUN-SENTINELTess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend 5* reader reviewWhat fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character. 5* reader reviewI really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won. 5* reader review

An edge-of-your seat taleO, the Oprah MagazineEqual parts love story, tragedy and murder mysteryEntertainment WeeklyFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLA classic story of murder and mystery, in which one mans disappearance echoes through the lives of his wife, daughters - and mistress.Fourth of July, 1976. Bambis world implodes when her husband Felix, newly convicted and facing prison, mysteriously vanishes, leaving her and their daughters behind.Though Bambi has no idea where Felix - or his money - might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie. When Julie herself disappears ten years to the day that Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes shes left to join her old lover - until her remains are found in a secluded wooded park.Now, twenty-six years after Julie went missing, Roberto Sandy Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of bitterness, jealousy, resentment and greed - with the enigmatic Felix Brewer at the centre.Felix Brewer left five women behind. Now there are four. Does at least one of them know the truth?A true mystery. . . Lippman has crafted an excellent story 5* reader reviewThis is one of the most artfully plotted mysteries Ive read, and on top of that, nicely written with a great sense of character and voice. 5* reader reviewExcellent mystery, could not put it down! 5* reader review

A very special kind of twisted genius. SARAH HILARYOne of the best crime novelists writing today. TESS GERRITSENA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERY Reporter turned Private Investigator Tess Monaghan knows all about the darker side of human nature. But she never expected to be on the receiving end of a court sentence to attend six months counselling for Anger Management.Tess starts the counselling - but then her attention turns to a series of unsolved homicides. They appear to be overlooked cases of domestic violence. But the more Tess investigates, the more she is convinced that there is just one culprit. The Maryland State Police are sure that the serial killer Tess is now looking for is dead. So he cant be a threat. Can he? But he is very much alive and has found another victim to stalk: Tess.PRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIESTess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next. Times Literary SupplementWhip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess! 5* reader reviewReaders wont be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimores famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre. BOOKLISTDigestible, fun, tense NPRIn this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insiders view of Baltimore. SUN-SENTINELTess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend 5* reader reviewWhat fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character. 5* reader reviewI really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won. 5* reader review

A very special kind of twisted genius. SARAH HILARYA natural storyteller at the height of her powers. LEE CHILDA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERYMeet Tess Monaghan - ex-Baltimore Star reporter and accidental PI - as she investigates cases of murder, corruption and injustice in Charm City . . .Until her newspaper, The Baltimore Star, crashed, Tess Monaghan was a first-rate reporter who knew her home town intimately - from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill. Now gainfully unemployed, shes willing to do any freelance job to pay the rent - including a bit of unorthodox snooping for her rowing buddy Darryl Rock Paxton.In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitzs death should be just another statistic. But the lawyers notoriety and his trysts with Rocks fiancee, make the case front page news - and make Rock the chief suspect. . .Anyone that likes mysteries, even a little bit, should read this book and the rest in the series! 5* reader reviewLoved it. Fast pace, big surprises! 5* reader reviewVery engaging. . .unpredictable. 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIESTess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next. Times Literary SupplementWhip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess! 5* reader reviewReaders wont be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimores famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre. BOOKLISTDigestible, fun, tense NPRIn this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insiders view of Baltimore. SUN-SENTINELTess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend 5* reader reviewWhat fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character. 5* reader reviewI really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won. 5* reader review

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR WINNER OF THE CRIMEFEST eDUNNIT AWARD FOR BEST ePUB CRIME NOVELLippman is an absolute master of plot and timing, and I would follow her anywhere - even to the prom.EMMA STRAUBIts deranged and dark and surprising at times. A perfect psychological thriller. 5* reader reviewWhen I was seventeen, I gave birth to a baby in a hotel bathroom while attending the prom.Two decades ago, Amber Glasss life changed forever. No-one had even known she was pregnant - including Joe, her date.Afterwards, she left town for good - and hasnt seen Joe since. But she knows he hasnt left, that hes working for his fathers real estate company, married to a cosmetic surgeon. Child free.Now Amber is back, and as the two of them tentatively start to renew their once unlikely relationship, will their secrets and motivations finally destroy everyone around them?Inspired by a true story, this guessing game of a novel explodes with feeling and menace.I read this acid-dipped beauty in two desperate sittings ... it moves so fast and so skillfully, you dont fully grasp what its really saying (about men, women, desire) until its final stunning pages. MEGAN ABBOTTShe is simply a brilliant novelist. GILLIAN FLYNNA very special kind of twisted genius.SARAH HILARYOne of the best crime novelists writing today.PAULA HAWKINSLippmann is fast creating a new genre-busting category full of remarkable writing and dazzling plot lines.Daily MailLaura Lippman is one of my favourite writers.MINDY KALINGWhat readers are saying: ***** Its deranged and dark and surprising at times. A perfect psychological thriller. ***** Prom Mom is a fantastically clever meditation on privilege and power. ***** Cleverly plotted with brilliantly plausible characters and a fantastic twist you will not see coming. ***** What a fantastic read! So many layers and twists, in fact, the ending twist blew me away. ***** A pitch perfect, ice cold thriller, Prom Mom is utterly devoid of cliche.

An imaginative, well-plotted mystery Sun SentinelA great read with so much excitement! WOW! 5* reader reviewWINNER OF ANTHONY AWARD FOR BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINALWINNER OF THE AGATHA AWARDNOMINATED FOR MACAVITY AWARDA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERYIn walks Luther Beale, the notorious vigilante who, five years ago, shot a boy for vandalising his car. Just out of prison, he wants to make reparations to the kids who witnessed his crime, and he needs PI Tess Monaghan to find them.But once Tess starts snooping, the witnesses start dying. Is the Butcher of Butchers Hill at it again?One of the finest writers in America. MARK BILLINGHAMOne of my favourite Tess books so far. . . its beautiful 5* reader reviewThis one brought tears to my eyes and touched me like no other book of its kind! 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIESTess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next. Times Literary SupplementWhip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess! 5* reader reviewReaders wont be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimores famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre. BOOKLISTDigestible, fun, tense NPRIn this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insiders view of Baltimore. SUN-SENTINELTess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend 5* reader reviewWhat fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character. 5* reader reviewI really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won. 5* reader review

NOW A MOTION PICTURE STARRING DAKOTA FANNING AND ELIZABETH BANKSFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLA riveting story of love and murder, guilt and innocence, adult sins and childhood secrets.Two little girls banished from a neighbourhood birthday party take a wrong turn down an unfamiliar Baltimore street-and encounter an abandoned stroller with an infant inside. What happens next is shocking and terrible, and three families are irreparably destroyed.Seven years later, Alice Manning and Ronnie Fuller, now eighteen, are released from "kid prison" to begin their lives over again. But the secrets swirling around the original crime continue to haunt the parents, the lawyers, the police-all the adults in Alice and Ronnies lives. And now another child has disappeared, under freakishly similar circumstances. . .Perfect. . . on a par with some of our finest authors of psychological suspense, including Ruth Rendell, Denise Mina, and Patricia Highsmith. 5* reader reviewQuick and exciting read. . . full of suspense! 5* reader reviewEnigmatic, unpredictable. . . dont plan on getting anything done until you turn the last page of this book. 5* reader review

A first-class mystery.Daily Mail[Laura Lippman] is a very special kind of twisted genius. SARAH HILARYOne of Lippmans finest novelsChicago TribuneA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERYNo one is quite who they seem.Melisandre - rich, beautiful, possibly insane - is haunted by the deadly family tragedy a decade earlier. Her husband and teenage daughters have moved on, and are seemingly happy. When she returns from South Africa to Baltimore, there are suddenly more mysterious deaths. The mysteries of Melisandres devastating past are unearthed: what role did her family really play? Is anyone telling the truth?PI Tess Monaghan gets ensnared in the story of this wealthy, complex family. Now the mother of a young girl herself, Tess makes a return as an investigator to solve the case.A hugely powerful and emotive novel about children and destructive, overbearing parents, Hush Hushis a superbly plotted mystery that will keep you hooked until the final page.Cleverly told. . . Its refreshing how chaotic and ordinary Lippman allows Monaghan to be, without ever making her boring. John OConnell, GuardianAn engaging read. . . I thoroughly enjoy staying caught up on the adventures of Tess and family. 5* reader reviewAnother extraordinary Tess Monaghan book. . . smooth and seductive 5* reader reviewI love this series, I loved the storyline, and how it all came together at the end! 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR THE TESS MONAGHAN SERIESTess is a heroine with a nose for what she is not being told, and she is never content with half the story. These Baltimore novels are effective thrillers, because they are stories about wanting to know what happens next.Times Literary SupplementWhip smart female protagonist, gritty Baltimore setting. Loved Tess! 5* reader reviewReaders wont be able to resist Tess, who, like one of Baltimores famous crabs, sports a tough shell that hides a sweet centre. BOOKLISTDigestible, fun, tenseNPRIn this series, Lippman has developed sturdy tales, wry humour, and snappy dialogue wrapped around an insiders view of Baltimore.SUN-SENTINELTess, is a ballsy, free-spirited woman who thinks on her feet and has a commanding physical presence. . . Highly recommend 5* reader review What fun! I discovered a new (to me) mystery series. Tess Monaghan is a terrific main character. 5* reader reviewI really have fallen in love with Tess Monaghan. These mystery novels well deserve the awards Lippman has won. 5* reader review

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLGrippingIrish IndependentLippman writes with clarity and power. STEPHEN KINGA gritty story, vivid characters and a fast-moving, twisting plot.Washington IndependentA suburban mother. A secret life.Heloise is a single mum who runs her own business and keeps herself to herself. But Heloises business is one that takes place in discreet hotel rooms. For the right payment, she can be the woman of your dreams.But now her accountant is starting to ask questions, her long-time bodyguard is hinting at new dangers, and in the local news, a so-called suburban madam has been found dead in her car.With nothing as it seems, can Heloise secure the safety of herself and her son?A riveting, engrossing, and at times, sordid story. 5* reader reviewAMAZING! I did NOT see the twists coming at all! 5* reader reviewAll kinds of surprises in this fun and exciting thriller 5* reader reviewAddictive as always! 5* reader review

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLI knew something new about venality - my own. I realized I had become the bad guy in someone elses story. And I deserved it.Laura Lippmans first job in journalism was a rookie reporter in Waco, Texas. Two decades later she left her first husband, quit the newspaper business, and became a full time novelist.I had been creating villains on the page for about seven years when I finally became one.Her fiction has always centered on complicated women, paying unique attention to the intricacies of their flaws, their vulnerability, and their empowerment. Now, finally, Lippman has turned her gimlet eye on a new subject: herself.My daughter was ten days old the first time I was asked if I were her grandmother.In this, her first collection of essays, Lippman gives us a brilliant, candid portrait of an unapologetically flawed life. Childhood, friendships, influences, becoming a mother in later life - Lippmans inspiring life stories are at once specific and universal.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGERSpine-chilling ERIN KELLYEnthralling. MEGAN ABBOTTI was utterly hookedStylistKeeps you guessing until the very last chapter. Sunday TimesFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHORYears ago Gerry Anderson wrote a novel about his dream girl, Aubrey, and for years people speculated about who she must have been based on.Now, with Gerry unwell and bed bound, he thinks someone is trying to contact him, someone claiming to be the real Aubrey.As Gerrys about to find out, dreams can quickly turn to nightmares. . .What readers are saying:***** A very clever crime novel that should keep your thoughts spinning for quite. Highly recommended!***** Its going to be stitched up in the end, you may not actually see it coming. I didnt, and Im glad Ms. Lippman kept me guessing.***** A Dream Read! hould definitely go on everyones must read list.***** Many twists that I did not see coming! I highly recommend! I could not put this down once I started!

Hay preguntas que sólo los muertos podrían responder...En 1975, dos hermanas, de once y quince años, des- aparecieron en un centro comercial. Nunca fueron encontradas, y cientos de preguntas quedaron sin respuesta: ¿como pudieron secuestrar a dos niñas?, ¿quien o que consiguio atraerlas fuera del centro sin dejar rastro? Treinta años despues, una extraña mujer que se ha visto envuelta en un accidente de tra co asegura ser una de las niñas. Pero su confesion y las posteriores evasivas con que responde a los investigadores solo profundizan el misterio. ¿Donde ha estado todos estos años?

Laura LippmanWhen private eye Tess Monaghan finds herself literally on a collision course with the makers of a TV series being shot in her native Baltimore, it's not only her introduction to the surreal world of television drama, but also the beginning of a case that only a crazed scriptwriter could have dreamed up for her. Selene Waites, the glamorous but brittle young star of the show, has been the victim of a twisted stalker, and executive producer thinks Tess would be just the person to bodyguard her during filming. At first, Selene seems like a spoiled kook out of central casting and the babysitting job a PR sham, but as Tess gets sucked deeper into the show's labyrinthine web of deceptions and betrayals, she soon finds she's unwittingly become the main feature in a storyline featuring murder, kidnapping and sickening obsession...

Un beau brun fait escale dans le bar d’un minuscule bled du Delaware. Il est aussitôt séduit par une rousse dont le corps incendiaire contraste avec l’attitude glaciale. Les deux héros, surgis d’on n

Baltimore, 1965. Maddie est la femme au foyer parfaite, mariée depuis presque vingt ansà l’un des représentants de la bonne société locale et mère d’un adolescent. Un soir, sur uncoup de tête, elle d