Synopses & Reviews
#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner, author of Catch Me and Love You More, returns with a heart-thumping thriller about what lurks behind the facade of a perfect family.
This is my family: Vanished without a trace
Justin and Libby Denbe have the kind of life that looks good in the pages of a glossy magazine. A beautiful fifteen-year old daughter, Ashlyn. A gorgeous brownstone on a tree-lined street in Bostons elite Back Bay neighborhood. A great marriage, admired by friends and family. A perfect life.
This is what I know: Pain has a flavor
When investigator Tessa Leoni arrives at the crime scene in the Denbes home, she finds scuff marks on the floor and Taser confetti in the foyer. The family appears to have been abducted, with only a pile of their most personal possessions remaining behind. No witnesses, no ransom demands, no motive. Just an entire family, vanished without a trace.
This is what I fear: The worst is yet to come
Tessa knows better than anyone that even the most perfect façades can hide the darkest secrets. Now she must race against the clock to uncover the Denbes innermost dealings, a complex tangle of friendships and betrayal, big business and small sacrifices. Who would want to kidnap such a perfect little family? And how far would such a person be willing to go?
This is the truth: Love, safety, family
it is all touch and go.
Review
Praise for Linda Fairstein:
“The Queen of Intelligent Suspense.”
— Lee Child
"A champion teller of detective tales."
- USA Today
“Alex Cooper is a fascinating heroine...based on the equally fascinating life of her creator.”
—O, The Oprah Magazine
"One of the best crime fiction writers in America today."
- Nelson DeMille
"Every page...is brimming with the kind of you-are-there reality that can only come from someone who has been there, seen it, done it."
- Michael Connelly on Killer Heat
"Linda Fairstein writes tough, beautiful prose about a world she knows first hand."
- Lisa Scottoline on Cold Hit
“Fairstein is superbly attuned to the sinister vibes of the famous, as well as forgotten, New York City locales.”
—Maureen Corrigan, NPR.org
“Long before sex crimes became everyday fictional fare on America's favorite cop shows, Linda Fairstein was in court and on the streets working ripped-from-the-headlines cases."
— USA Today
Review
Praise for Terminal City
"Need a good thriller that describes the intricate details and history of one of New York Citys better known landmarks? Then Fairsteins 16th adventure with Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is just the ticket." - Library Journal (starred review)
"It doesn't get better than this." - BookReporter
Review
“When it comes to the forensic sciences, nobody can touch Cornwell.”
—The New York Times Book Review
Review
Praise for
Touch and Go:
“Lisa Gardner, the master of the psychological thriller, has delivered another tour de force with "Touch and Go," which exposes the raw nerves of a family imploding, and an investigator trying to escape her past….Gardner does an amazing job of creating realistic situations and characters with emotional resonance. The constant surprises will shock even the most jaded thriller reader.” -Associated Press
“Returning home after a date night meant to repair their marriage, Justin and Libby Denbe are abducted along with their teenage daughter from their glamorous Boston townhouse, leaving cops with no motive or ransom demand. The suspense crackles as the Denbes grapple with their captors bewildering brutality. But what gives the story heart is Libbys dawning realization that her family may have been broken long before their kidnappers appeared.” --People
"This no-holds-barred stand-alone from Thriller Award-winner Gardner opens with the brutally efficient kidnapping of the Denbe family—father Justin, wife Libby, and 15-year-old daughter Ashlyn—from their exclusive Back Bay townhouse.…Gardner effectively alternates between the physical and emotional disintegration of the family under the pressure of their captivity and the efforts of [Invesigator Tessa] Leoni and company to dig into the secrets of Denbe Construction, its key employees, and its finances, as well as to locate the Denbes. The suspense builds as the action races to a spectacular conclusion and the unmasking of the plots mastermind."
—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thrill ride... Even readers who figure out the ringleader long before [Investigators] Tessa and Wyatt will get behind on their sleep turning pages to make sure they're right."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Gardners depiction of a woman in the midst of emotional chaos is spot on, as usual, and she proves herself just as capable when it comes to creating intriguing men. Readers will want to see more of Wyatt, just as they grew to appreciate Bobby Dodge in Gardners earlier books."
—Booklist
Review
Praise for
Catch Me:
“New York Times best-selling author Gardner always plays in the big leagues, but this scare-your-socks-off thriller is a grand slam, packed with enigmatic characters (some good, some crazily evil), expert procedural detail, and superb storytelling.”
— Library Journal on Catch Me
“Gardner has become one of the best psychological thriller writers in the business. The compelling characters, the shocking plot and the realistic atmosphere of how police operate make this a "must read" for any suspense aficionado.”
— Associated Press on Catch Me
“The creepy meter is off the charts—though not sensationalized—with children the target of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of both strangers and parents. And, somehow, miraculously without any contrivance, Gardners conclusion delivers a welcome glimmer of hope.”
— Booklist (starred review) on Catch Me
“Gardners sixth Det. D.D. Warren thriller grabs from the get-go.”
— People on Catch Me
“A solidly enjoyable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your chair as you turn the pages and listen for any strange noises around you.”
— Huffington Post on Catch Me
“Irresistible.” — Kirkus on Catch Me
Review
Praise for Linda Fairstein “A champion teller of detective tales.”—USA Today
"Linda Fairstein is the queen of intelligent suspense."—Lee Child
"Alex Cooper is a fascinating heroine."—O, The Oprah Magazine
"One of the best crime fiction writers in America today."—Nelson DeMille
Synopsis
With her newest Alexandra Cooper novel, Terminal City, New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein delivers another breakneck thriller that captures the essence of New York Cityits glamour, its possibilities, and its endless capacity for darkness.
Linda Fairstein is well-known for illuminating the dark histories in many of New Yorks forgotten cornersand sometimes in the citys most popular landmarks. In Terminal City, Fairstein turns her attention to one of New York's most iconic structuresGrand Central Terminal.
Grand Central Terminal is the very center of the city. Its also the sixth most visited tourist attraction in the world. From the worlds largest Tiffany clock decorating the Forty-Second Street entrance to using electric trains since the early 1900s, Grand Central has been a symbol of beauty and innovation in New York City for more than one hundred years.
But the worlds loveliest station” is hiding more than just an underground train system, and in Terminal City Alex Cooper and Mike Chapman must contend with Grand Centrals dark secrets as well as their own changing relationship.
Synopsis
A woman has vanished while digging a dinosaur bone bed in the remote wilderness of Canada. Somehow, the only evidence has made its way to the inbox of Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta, over two thousand miles away in Boston. She has no idea why. But as events unfold with alarming speed, Scarpetta begins to suspect that the paleontologist’s disappearance is connected to a series of crimes much closer to home: a gruesome murder, inexplicable tortures, and trace evidence from the last living creatures of the dinosaur age.
When she turns to those around her, Scarpetta finds that the danger and suspicion have penetrated even her closest circles. Her niece Lucy speaks in riddles. Her lead investigator, Pete Marino, and FBI forensic psychologist and husband, Benton Wesley, have secrets of their own. Feeling alone and betrayed, Scarpetta is tempted by someone from her past as she tracks a killer both cunning and cruel.
This is Kay Scarpetta as you have never seen her before. The Bone Bed is a must read for any fan of this series, or an ideal starting point for new readers.
Synopsis
Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper returns in the new breakneck thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of Death Angel who once again captures the essence of New York Cityits glamour, its history, its possibilities, and its endless capacity for darkness.
Grand Central Station is hiding more than just an underground train system. When the body of a young woman is found in the tower suite of the Waldorf Astoria, Assistant DA Alex Cooper and Detective Mike Chapman find themselves hunting for a killer whose only signature is a carefully drawn symbol carved into his victims bodies, a symbol that bears a striking resemblance to train tracks.
After a second body is discovered in a terminal alleyway, attention shifts to the iconic transportation hub and the potential for a bigger attack. With the President of the United States set to arrive for a United Nations meeting, Alex and Mike must contend with Grand Centrals expansive underground tunnels and century-old dark secretsas well as their own changing relationshipto find a killer whos cutting a deadly path straight to the heart of the city.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein was chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorneys Office in Manhattan for more than two decades and is Americas foremost legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence. Her Alexandra Cooper novels, which include Death Angel, Night Watch, and Silent Mercy, are international bestsellers and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She lives in Manhattan and on Marthas Vineyard.