Laura Lippman

La detective Tess Monaghan es contratada por Mark Rubin, un rico e influyente judío ortodoxo, para que encuentre a su mujer y a sus hijos, que han desaparecido. El primer problema es que la desaparición parece voluntaria, por lo que la policía no se hace cargo. Y el segundo es que, a medida que la investigación avanza, Tess comienza a toparse con los prejuicios y secretos de la hermética comunidad judía, y con una turbia historia de traiciones, venganzas y dinero negro... Una verdadera tela de araña, en la que cualquier paso en falso puede resultar fatal...

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?

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.

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.

When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette 'Bambi' Gottschalk at a dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises. But on the Fourth of July, 1976, Bambi's world implodes when Felix, newly convicted and facing prison, mysteriously vanishes. Though Bambi has no idea where her husband - 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 she's 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, jealously, resentment and greed stretching over the three decades and three generations that connect these five very different women. And at the center of every woman's story is the man who, though long gone, has never been forgotten: the enigmatic Felix Brewer.

No one is quite who he or she seems. Hush Hush is the story of Melisandre - rich, beautiful, possibly insane - who has to live with the knowledge of a devastating event in her past. She has not seen her two daughters, now aged fifteen and seventeen, in the ten years since the notorious family tragedy. And her husband has moved on, married now to his personal trainer, and seemingly happy. As Melisandre returns to Baltimore from South Africa, however, there are suddenly more mysterious deaths. And quite what did happen all that time ago has never been clear - what role had each of the members of this unhappy family played? And is anyone telling the truth? Tess Monaghan, now the mother of a young girl herself, makes a return as the investigator who gets snared in the case. A hugely powerful and emotive novel about parents and children - about destructive parents who think they love their children and good parents whose children are the centre of their lives - it is also a superbly plotted mystery novel, one which will keep you hooked until the very final page.

Cleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and the two sons she left behind, no one seems to have noticed. It isn't hard to understand why: it's 1964 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 that's 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.

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.

La detective Tess Monoghan abre al fin su propia agencia de investigación, y lo hace en Butchers Hill. Quizás no sea la mejor zona de Baltimore, pero en algún sitio hay que empezar. Un hombre anciano que acaba de salir de la carcel contratara sus servicios. Acaba de cumplir condena por el asesinato de un ado-lescente, al que mato por destrozar su coche. Ha tenido tiempo de reflexionar en la sombra, y lo que ahora desea es indemnizar a los chicos que presenciaron el crimen, de manera que Tess habra de localizarlos. Y quizas sea tarde; los chicos aparecen muertos.Tess se vera envuelta en un rastro de dinero y mentiras, que conducen a calles desconocidas, a los rincones menos agradables de Butchers Hill.Laura Lippman parte de un caso real, nos brinda una serie de reflexiones sobre los bajos fondos, la adopcion y los centros de acogida. Sus novelas han sido ganadoras de los premios Edgar, Agatha, Shamus, Anthony y Nero.

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.

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...

Luisa ''Lu'' Brant is the newly elected - and first female - state''s attorney of Howard County, Maryland, a job in which her revered father famously served. Fiercely intelligent and ambitious, she sees an opportunity to make her name by trying a mentally disturbed drifter accused of beating a woman to death in her home. It''s not the kind of case that makes headlines, but peaceful Howard County doesn''t see many homicides.As Lu prepares for the trial, the case dredges up painful memories, reminding her small but tight-knit family of the night when her brother, AJ, saved his best friend at the cost of another man''s life. Only eighteen, AJ was cleared by a grand jury. Now, Lu wonders if the events of 1980 happened as she remembers them. What details might have been withheld from her when she was a child?The more she learns about the case, the more questions arise. What does it mean to be a man or woman of one''s times? Why do we ask our heroes of the past to conform to the present''s standards? Is that fair? Is it right? Propelled into the past, she discovers that the legal system, the bedrock of her entire life, does not have all the answers. Lu realises that even if she could learn the whole truth, she probably wouldn''t want to.

[Lippman] only seems to be getting better.Entertainment WeeklyA first-rate collection.BooklistFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SUNBURN AND DREAM GIRLThe award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories.A married couple - longing for that old romantic spark - creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences. A husbands secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife. Lippmans beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father.In eleven brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong, Laura Lippmans sharp and acerbic stories explore the contemporary world and the female experience through the prism of classic crime, where the stakes are always deadly.Readers love Seasonal Work:***** These stories are the best Ive ever read. I want to read everything this woman has written.***** Such a unique collection of short stories. All excellent. I couldnt wait to finish each one.***** Fantastic Stories!!! Her short stories blew me away!***** Phenomenal. . . proof that you dont need 250 pages to write a killer story!

A plot worthy of Poe himself. Splendid entertainment. GuardianOne of the best crime novelists writing today. TESS GERRITSENAn homage to the city of Baltimore. BooklistA TESS MONAGHAN MYSTERYThree red roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac have been left on the grave of Edgar Allan Poe every 19th of January for the past fifty years.Baltimore P. I. Tess Monaghan takes on the strangest case of her career when a man approaches her asking her to find out who is behind the ritual. On 19th January, as she watches Poes grave, two cloaked figures appear. There is a gunshot, and one is killed.Who was the mysterious client who has given her a fake name, and how does an old friend from Tesss past fit into the case? When more cryptic clues are left at her home, Tess realises that someone is watching her every move. Someone bent on killing again.Compulsive and beautifully realised. SHOTS magazineExtremely well-written who-done-it. . . A must read for those fellow suspense readers like myself! 5* reader reviewA satisfying mystery. 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

**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.

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