New Releases by Laura Lippman

"Highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery...that only she can solve"--

Traditional Chinese edition of Lady in the Lake

‘Uitzonderlijk, zelfs buitengewoon goed.’ Stephen King over De vrouw in het meer in The New York Times Amber probeert al haar hele volwassen leven zoveel mogelijk afstand te houden van Baltimore, de plek waar ze opgroeide. Ze staat daar bekend als de ‘gala-mama’ omdat ze haar baby zou hebben vermoord op de avond van het schoolgala, nadat haar date Joe Simpson haar in de steek had gelaten om achter een ander meisje aan te gaan. Maar wanneer Amber zich door omstandigheden gedwongen ziet terug te keren naar de stad, realiseert ze zich dat ze een tweede kans heeft – als ze maar uit de buurt van Joe blijft. Hij is nu een succesvolle vastgoedontwikkelaar en is getrouwd met plastisch chirurg Meredith. Het probleem is dat Amber niet bij Joe uit de buurt kan blijven. En Joe vindt het steeds moeilijker Amber te negeren. Langzaam worden de twee onherroepelijk naar elkaar toe getrokken. Als Joe aan Amber vraagt hem te helpen met iets ondenkbaars, gaan ze uiteindelijk een grens over die ze al die tijd probeerden te vermijden. In de pers ''Superhoog tempo.'' ***VN Detective & Thrillergids ‘Originele en zenuwslopende thriller.’ Zin ‘Prettig lichtvoetig en met een satanistisch plezier geschreven, vol kleurrijke personages en onvoorspelbare plotwendingen.’ VN Detective & Thrillergids ‘Een thriller voor de fijnproever en liefhebber van Harlan Coben en Michael Connelly.’ NBD Biblion

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman tells the story of Amber Glass, desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for. Amber Glass has spent her entire adult life putting as much distance as possible between her and her hometown of Baltimore, where she fears she will forever be known as “Prom Mom”—the girl who allegedly killed her baby on the night of the prom after her date, Joe Simpson, abandoned her to pursue the girl he really liked. But when circumstances bring Amber back to the city, she realizes she can have a second chance—as long as she stays away from Joe, now a successful commercial real estate developer, married to a plastic surgeon, Meredith, to whom he is devoted. The problem is, Amber can’t stay away from Joe. And Joe finds that it’s increasingly hard for him to ignore Amber, if only because she remembers the boy he was and the man he said he was going to be. Against the surreal backdrop of 2020 and early 2021, the two are slowly drawn to each other and eventually cross the line they’ve been trying not to cross. And then Joe asks Amber to help him do the unthinkable . . . and she must decide if she is willing to let their toxic and dangerous past repeat itself.

The New York Times–bestselling author of Hush Hush interviews the lead character of her hit series. In 1997, the character of Tess Monaghan debuted in Laura Lippman’s detective novel, Baltimore Blues. The book launched the bestselling series that continues to delight readers decades later. But who exactly is Theresa Esther Weinstein Monaghan when she’s not tackling troublesome cases? In this fictional article, author Laura Lippman takes you to Baltimore where she speaks with the accidental detective herself to find out what makes her tick. You’ll learn about Tess’s parents and her childhood. You’ll hear from her longtime boyfriend Edward “Crow” Ransome, as well as her lifelong best friend, Whitney Talbot. Lippman shares what daily life is like for the tough PI. Soon, you’ll discover why readers can’t get enough of Tess. Praise for Laura Lippman and the Tess Monaghan Novels “One of the best novelists around, period.” —The Washington Post “Lippman is incapable of writing an un-compelling mystery.” —The Baltimore Sun “A juicy whodunnit.” —Entertainment Weekly on Another Thing to Fall “Lippman is a dynamic storyteller. . . . This series [is] one of the best.” —USA Today “An imaginative, well-plotted mystery.” —South Florida Sun Sentinel on Butcher’s Hill

«Omaggio a Misery di Stephen King, La ragazza dei sogni è un noir divertente e pieno di suspense, con un finale incredibile.» People «Un thriller intelligente e spietato, una lettura veloce, che entusiasmerà tutti i lettori.» USA Today «La talentuosa Laura Lippman alterna passaggi hard-boiled a una feroce satira. La ragazza dei sogni offre una sana dose di suspense e arguta fiction.» The Wall Street Journal Infortunatosi in una strana caduta, lo scrittore Gerry Andersen è confinato a letto nel suo affascinante appartamento in un grattacielo, dipendente da due donne che conosce a malapena: la sua giovane assistente e una infermiera notturna all’apparenza piuttosto scialba. Poi una sera squilla il telefono. La voce dall’altra parte della cornetta si annuncia come la «vera» Aubrey, la seducente protagonista del suo romanzo di maggior successo, La ragazza dei sogni. Ma il suo personaggio è puro frutto di fantasia, Gerry lo sa, anche se molti suoi lettori credono che la vicenda narrata nel suo romanzo sia ispirata a una storia vera. Gerry sospetta che la voce al telefono sia in realtà una delle sue tre ex mogli, pronta a vendicarsi con uno scherzo di pessimo gusto. Oppure Margot, una sua ex fiamma ossessionata da lui, che continua a cercare di insinuarsi nella sua vita. Ma tutti pensano che le telefonate siano frutto della sua fantasia. Isolato dal mondo, stordito dai farmaci, Gerry oscilla tra realtà e uno stato onirico in cui è perseguitato dal proprio passato: il padre infedele, la madre devota; le donne che lo amavano, le donne che lui amava. E ora ecco Aubrey, la cui voce suadente e minacciosa insinua che lui le debba qualcosa. La minaccia è reale o è un segno di demenza? Gerry non è mai stato così solo, così confuso e terrorizzato. Un vero page-turner che scandaglia temi molto attuali, il potere, l’appropriazione, l’influenza che più o meno consapevolmente esercitiamo sugli altri. La ragazza dei sogni è una potente miscela di suspense psicologica, terrore e ironia, che si insinua anche nei meccanismi della scrittura. Un metaromanzo capace di avvincere il lettore in maniera irresistibile.

Bestsellerauteur Gerry krijgt telefoontjes van iemand die niet bestaat: een personage uit zijn bestverkochte boek Na een nare val van de trap is bestsellerauteur Gerry zes weken aan bed gekluisterd in zijn luxeappartement in Baltimore. De twee vrouwen die voor hem zorgen kent hij amper: zijn piepjonge nieuwe assistente en een nogal slome nachtverpleegster. Dan krijgt hij op een avond een telefoontje van iemand die zich voordoet als Aubrey, de hoofdpersoon uit zijn bestverkochte boek Dream Girl. Maar zij bestaat alleen in Gerry’s verbeelding. Zou dit soms een gemene grap zijn van een van zijn drie exen? Is hij al aan het dementeren, zoals zijn moeder, of hallucineert hij door de pijnstillers die hij krijgt? Aubrey blijft hem bellen, en haar toon wordt steeds dreigender. Gerry voelt zich bang en alleen – en dan wordt er ook nog een moord gepleegd. Vanaf dat moment weet hij zeker dat er iets veel duisterders aan de hand is dan hij dacht. In de pers ‘Prettig lichtvoetig en met een satanisch plezier geschreven, vol kleurrijke personages en onvoorspelbare plotwendingen.’ **** VN Detective & Thrillergids ‘Uitzonderlijk, zelfs buitengewoon goed.’ Stephen King over De vrouw in het meer in The New York Times ‘Lippman beweegt briljant heen en weer in de tijd, ze strooit met talloze plottwists tot aan de overweldigende finale.’ Booklist ‘Lippman lijkt alleen maar beter te worden.’ Entertainment Weekly

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman showcases why she is one of today’s top crime writers in this acclaimed collection of suspenseful stories featuring fierce women—including one never-before-published novella. “A first-rate collection, an obvious must for the legions of Lippman fans, but also great reading for anyone who savors short crime fiction.” — Booklist (starred review) The award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories. In the never-before-published “Just One More,” a married couple—longing for that old romantic spark—creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences. Lippman’s beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father in “Seasonal Work,” while her mother, Judith, realizes that the life of “The Everyday Housewife” is an excellent cover for all kinds of secrets. In “Slow Burner,” a husband’s secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife. A father’s hidden past piques the curiosity of a young snoop in “The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes.” Plus seven other brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong—irrefutable evidence that Laura Lippman’s riveting fiction will more than satisfy any crime reader.

Booklist Editors'' Choice! Called One of the Best Mystery Books by NPR, Washington Post, Crime Reads, Library Journal, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Dublin City Library! "With this tip of the hat to Stephen King''s Misery, Dream Girl is funny and suspenseful, with a dread-worthy final twist." —People “My dream novel. I devoured this in three days. The sharpest, clearest-eyed take on our #MeToo reckoning yet. Plus: enthralling." —Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The Fever Following up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake, Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls. Aubrey, the title character of Gerry Andersen’s most successful novel, Dream Girl, is so captivating that Gerry’s readers insist she’s real. Gerry knows she exists only in his imagination. So how can Aubrey be calling Gerry, bed-bound since a freak fall? A virtual prisoner in his penthouse, Gerry is dependent on two women he barely knows: his incurious young assistant, and a dull, slow-witted night nurse. Could the cryptic caller be one of his three ex-wives playing a vindictive trick after all these years? Or is she Margot, an ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to insinuate her way back into Gerry’s life? And why does no one believe that the call even happened? Isolated from the world, drowsy from medication, Gerry slips between reality and dreamlike memories: his faithless father, his devoted mother; the women who loved him, the women he loved. Now here is Aubrey, threatening to visit him, suggesting that Gerry owes her something. Is the threat real or a sign of dementia? Which scenario would he prefer? Gerry has never been so alone, so confused – and so terrified. And then he wakes up to another nightmare—a woman’s dead body next to his bed—and the terrifying uncertainty of whether he is responsible.

««Lippman ci racconta un mystery classico attraverso il prisma di molti personaggi, e in tutti si sente il riverbero delle tensioni razziali e femministe della Baltimora degli anni Sessanta». » «Vanity Fair» «Lippman ci racconta un mystery classico attraverso il prisma di molti personaggi, e in tutti si sente il riverbero delle tensioni razziali e femministe della Baltimora degli anni Sessanta.» «Vanity Fair» «Ogni volta che Laura Lippman scrive un romanzo mi emoziono, perché so che mi metterò ancora una volta nelle mani di un grande maestro.» Gyllian Flynn, autrice di L amore bugiardo ««Ogni volta che Laura Lippman scrive un romanzo mi emoziono, perché so che mi metterò ancora una volta nelle mani di un grande maestro». » Gyllian Flynn, autrice di L amore bugiardo Baltimora, 1966. Dopo diciotto anni di matrimonio, Maddie Schwartz, consapevole che nella sua dedizione alla vita di moglie e madre una parte importante di sé è andata perduta, decide di lasciare il marito e le giornate da casalinga per riprendere in mano la sua esistenza. Negli stessi giorni scompare da casa una ragazzina di undici anni. Maddie si unisce alle ricerche, e seguendo il suo istinto, scopre qualcosa che, dopo breve, le frutterà un lavoro nella redazione di un quotidiano locale. Maddie ama il suo nuovo lavoro, ci tiene a distinguersi e presto si appassiona al caso di Cleo Sherwood, una donna afroamericana trovata morta in un lago cittadino. Se si fosse trattato di una donna bianca, i giornalisti di Baltimora avrebbero fatto a gara per occuparsi della storia, che invece ottiene solo un breve trafiletto relegato nelle ultime pagine di cronaca. Maddie, sola contro tutti, comincia a indagare. Raccontato da una pluralità di punti vista, e con impressionante ritmo narrativo, La donna del lago non è soltanto il resoconto di un’indagine dai toni noir, ma è la storia del rapporto tra due donne che in realtà non si sono mai conosciute, nate in due contesti diversissimi, ma entrambe impegnate nello sforzo di contrastare il destino loro assegnato. Laura Lippman ci regala un romanzo pieno di suspense incentrato sulla redazione di un giornale in una città e in anni in cui razzismo, classismo e sessismo imbevevano l’opinione pubblica. Un bellissimo thriller letterario che, al di fuori delle costrizioni del genere, cattura alla perfezione lo spirito del tempo componendo, contemporaneamente, il ritratto di una ambizione femminile che non ha bisogno di altre giustificazioni.

Az egyikük hosszú távra játszik. De melyikük? Egy kisvárosi étteremben találkoznak. Polly nyugat felé tart. Adam azt mondja, ő is csak átutazóban van ott. Polly mégis marad. És Adam is marad – rabul ejti a rejtélyes vörös hajú nő, mert egyszerre aggasztja és izgatja csendes nyugalma. A perzselő nyár során Polly és Adam óhatatlanul forró, szenvedélyes viszonyba bonyolódnak. Mégis, mindketten elhallgatnak valamit a másik elől – veszélyes, sőt halálos titkokat. Aztán valaki meghal. Baleset volt vagy hidegvérrel kitervelt gyilkosság? Mostanra Polly és Adam annyira belegabalyodott egymás életébe és hazugságaiba, hogy egyikük sem tudja, hogyan állhatna tovább – vagy hogy egyáltalán tovább akar-e állni. Elég erős a szerelmük ahhoz, hogy kibírja az igazságot, vagy végül elpusztítja őket? Valakinek engednie kell. Melyikük lesz az?

Schon vor acht Monaten ist Cleo Sherwood verschwunden. Abgesehen von ihren Eltern und ihren beiden Söhnen scheint sich niemand darum zu scheren. Im Jahr 1966 interessieren sich weder Polizei noch Öffentlichkeit oder Presse für eine schwarze Frau, die als vermisst gilt. Madeline "Maddie" Schwartz, die als Redaktionsassistentin beim Baltimore Star arbeitet, hat sich erst vor Kurzem von ihrem Mann getrennt und klare Vorstellungen von ihrem künftigen Leben: endlich nicht mehr bloß das Anhängsel eines erfolgreichen Mannes sein, endlich sich selbst verwirklichen - und den eigenen Namen unter ihren Artikeln lesen. Als Maddie von einer Frauenleiche hört, die im Brunnen eines Parks gefunden wurde, wittert sie die Story ihres Lebens. Ihr Ehrgeiz ist geweckt. Sie ahnt nicht, wie viel Ärger ihr diese Geschichte einbringen wird - eine Geschichte, die niemand hören will.

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman, a journalist for many years, collects here her recent essays exploring motherhood as an older mom, her life as a reader, her relationships with her parents, friendship, and other topics that will resonate with a large audience. Her voice is wry and relatable, her takes often surprising. Meet the Woman Behind the Books… In this collection of new and previously published essays, New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman offers her take on a woman''s life across the decades. Her childhood and school years, her newspaper career, her experiences as a novelist—Lippman finds universal touchstones in an unusual life that has as many twists as her award-winning crime fiction. Essays include: · Men Explain The Wire to Me · Game of Crones · My Life as a Villainess · My Father’s Bar · The 31st Stocking These candid essays offer long-time readers insight into the experiences that helped Lippman become one of the most successful crime novelists of her generation.

Three girls were best friends - until friendship became murder... Baltimore police receive an urgent call out to a school after gunshots are heard coming from a locked girls'' toilet. The police find three victims, but only Josie is conscious, and she insists she is not the shooter.

Tess Monaghan ist arbeitslos. Seit die Zeitung Baltimore Star eingestellt wurde, hält sich die Journalistin mit Gelegenheitsjobs über Wasser. Der Zufall will, dass ihr Bekannter Darryl "Rock" Panson an akutem Liebeskummer leidet und er Tess eine hübsche Summe Geld bietet, um seine Verlobte Ava zu beschatten, die sich seit einiger Zeit reichlich seltsam verhält. Tess nimmt die Ermittlungen auf und beobachtet, wie sich die junge Anwältin jeden Mittag mit ihrem Chef Michael Abramowitz im Renaissance Park Hotel trifft. Haben die beiden eine Affäre? Tess'' erster Fall scheint gelöst, da wird Abramowitz tot in seiner Kanzlei aufgefunden. Und der letzte registrierte Besucher war ausgerechnet Rock. Natürlich macht sich Tess sofort daran, seine Unschuld zu beweisen. Aber diesmal geht es um Mord, und Tess droht sich bei den Ermittlungen zu weit aus dem Fenster zu lehnen.

SOON TO BE A SERIES FROM APPLE TV! A New York Times Bestseller The revered New York Times bestselling author returns with a novel set in 1960s Baltimore that combines modern psychological insights with elements of classic noir, about a middle-aged housewife turned aspiring reporter who pursues the murder of a forgotten young woman. In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to know—everyone, that is, except Madeline “Maddie” Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, she’s bolted from her marriage of almost twenty years, determined to make good on her youthful ambitions to live a passionate, meaningful life. Maddie wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world. Drawing on her own secrets, she helps Baltimore police find a murdered girl—assistance that leads to a job at the city’s afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working at the newspaper offers Maddie the opportunity to make her name, and she has found just the story to do it: Cleo Sherwood, a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake. If Cleo were white, every reporter in Baltimore would be clamoring to tell her story. Instead, her mysterious death receives only cursory mention in the daily newspapers, and no one cares when Maddie starts poking around in a young Black woman''s life—except for Cleo''s ghost, who is determined to keep her secrets and her dignity. Cleo scolds the ambitious Maddie: You''re interested in my death, not my life. They''re not the same thing. Maddie’s investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her life—a jewelry store clerk, a waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. But for all her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people—including Ferdie, the man who shares her bed, a police officer who is risking far more than Maddie can understand.

New York Times best-selling author Laura Lippman’s picture book debut offers a timely parable about family values, a little girl, and a dragon. “This enjoyable book delivers a lesson, and its playful drawings invite the young reader into a wonderful place somewhere between fantasy and reality.” —New York Times Book Review “A girl frustrated with her parents’ rules fires them and hires a dragon to take their place.” —Publishers Weekly, Included in Fall 2018 Announcements Liza Jane believed she could find better parents. So she fired her mom and dad and hired the first applicant who came to the door—what could possibly go wrong? And at first everything was fun. The dragon did whatever Liza Jane wanted him to do. But it turned out the dragon had only one response to all problems—opening his mouth and belching fire. Suddenly, people were scared of Liza Jane. The pizza deliveryman didn’t want to come to her house. No one wanted to play with her. And all that fire was very bad for the furniture. Could Liza Jane have been wrong about what kind of qualities she wanted in a parent?

Heloise is a suburban madam who flies under the radar in her affluent Maryland community by claiming she’s a lobbyist. Featured in Laura Lippman’s novel And When She Was Good, Heloise first appeared in two short stories, “One True Love” and “Scratch a Woman”. In a third story, “Form 95”, a police detective spins a web that not even the vigilant Heloise suspects. Available singly or as a collection.

De nieuwe standalone van een topauteur binnen het thrillergenre Polly en Adam ontmoeten elkaar in de lokale bar van het stadje Belleville. Zij is op weg naar het westen, hij zegt ook op doorreis te zijn. Toch blijft ze en hij blijft ook – geïntrigeerd als hij is door deze mysterieuze vrouw. Een zomer lang verliezen Polly en Adam zich in een hartstochtelijke liefde. Maar iets weerhoudt ze ervan zich compleet aan elkaar te geven. Gevaarlijke geheimen staan tussen hen in. Dan valt er een dode. Was het een ongeluk of onderdeel van een plan? Inmiddels zijn Adam en Polly zo verweven in elkaars levens en leugens, dat ze geen van beiden weten hoe ze elkaar de rug toe kunnen keren – en of ze dat wel willen. Wie zal als eerste breken? De pers over Wie er breekt ‘Je kunt merken hoe veel plezier de auteur had in het schrijven, en dat is besmettelijk.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Dit is Lippman op haar best. Een naam om rekening mee te houden binnen het thrillergenre.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Ingenieus geconstrueerd en extreem spannend.’ Booklist ‘Een auteur op de toppen van haar kunnen. Lippmans ster blijft rijzen.’ Booklist

Laura Lippman has long been fascinated by the dangerous vulnerability of teenage girls. In “The Babysitter''s Code”—the inspiration for her critically acclaimed novel, To the Power of Three—an adolescent girl decides to take a gun to school. In “Hardly Knew Her,” Lippman''s homage to Carson McCullers’ The Member of the Wedding, a tomboy learns that growing up means learning how to lie and deceive. And in “Ice*”—a prequel to The Most Dangerous Thing—a young girl is literally haunted by a child who drowned in a mysterious accident. Available singly or as a collection.

Laura Lippman''s beloved Baltimore private investigator, Tess Monaghan, has been featured in several short stories, including “Ropa Vieja”, “The Shoeshine Man''s Regrets”, and “The Book Thing*”. Another story, “The Every Day Housewife”, provides the first look into the inner life of Tess''s mother as a young newlywed in the 1970s. As a bonus, there is also a "profile" of Tess—bylined by former journalist Laura Lippman-—that appeared in the award-winning anthology, The Line-Up. Available singly or as a collection.

Everyone in small-town Bellville is talking about a series of mysterious fires disrupting the typically tranquil summer. The authorities attribute them to heat lightning, but some Belleville residents are not so sure… High-school student Beth, like everyone else in Belleville, has been following the fires – she has plenty of time between her monotonous day job at the deli and solitary nights at home while her mom works late. The fires aren’t the only unusual occurrence – Beth’s old friend Tara, who left town the year before after a mysterious incident, returns with no real explanation. Circumstances only get stranger when Beth unwittingly discovers clues as to what – or who – is the cause of the fires.

"Every time Laura Lippman comes out with a new book, I get chills because I know I am back in the hands of the master. She is simply a brilliant novelist, an unflinching chronicler of life in America right now, and Sunburn is her dark, gleaming noir gem. Read it." -Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals—and cold-blooded murder. One is playing a long game. But which one? They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over 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 other’s 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. Which one will it be? Inspired by James M. Cain’s masterpieces The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce, Sunburn is a tantalizing modern noir from the incomparable Laura Lippman.

Five thrilling tales of mystery, mayhem, and murder from an exceptional quintet of Edgar, CWA Dagger, and National Book Award winners. Crime and literature make strange and sinister bedfellows in this winning anthology of book-themed whodunits by five acclaimed masters of mystery and suspense. Multiple award-winning, bestselling authors provide the literary thrills and chills in this masterful collection of five ingeniously puzzling mysteries that belong in the library of every crime fiction aficionado. Dead Dames Don’t Sing by John Harvey: Looking for a big payday but finding big trouble instead, ex-London-cop-turned-private-investigator Jack Kiley attempts to uncover the true origins of a controversial, pseudonymously written pulp novel. The Travelling Companion by Ian Rankin: A young Scotsman in Paris is drawn into a shocking mystery that resides within the pages of an unpublished manuscript allegedly penned by Robert Louis Stevenson. Mystery, Inc. by Joyce Carol Oates: When an obsessive collector of bookstores discovers a charming new shop, he decides he must have it at any cost—even if he has to commit murder. Remaindered by Peter Lovesey: For some nefarious reason, the widow and former associates of a slain gangster are determined to keep the Precious Finds Bookstore open following the unfortunate demise of the shop’s owner. The Book Thing by Laura Lippman: Private investigator Tess Monaghan must help the irascible proprietor of a Baltimore children’s bookstore keep her business afloat by unmasking an elusive and utterly ingenious book thief.

Dwie jedenastolatki po drodze do domu widzą wózek z dzieckiem. Postanawiają je uratować – skoro ktoś je zostawił bez opieki, to znaczy, że go nie chce. Prawda? Kilka dni później policja znajduje zwłoki niemowlęcia. Po szybkim procesie dziewczynki zostają skazane. Siedem lat później Alice i Ronnie wychodzą z poprawczaka. Mają szansę zacząć życie od nowa. Jednak tajemnica, którą owiana jest dawna zbrodnia, wciąż dręczy ich rodziców, prawników i policjantów. Wszystkich, którzy wtedy nie odważyli się stawić czoła szokującej prawdzie ... A kiedy w niepokojących okolicznościach znika kolejne dziecko, podejrzenia natychmiast padają na dawne koleżanki. Zaczyna się walka z czasem, poszukiwania, batalia z mediami, które węszą za tanią sensacją. Sprawę prowadzi młoda pani detektyw, która siedem lat wcześniej znalazła ciało Olivii. Tyle że nic w tej sprawie nie jest normalne...