Synopses & Reviews
"Kinsey Millhone, you've got competition. This firecracker of a series starter is a perfect summer read. It introduces Fina Ludlow, the in-house private investigator for her family's ethically shaky lawfirm. What starts as a search for her missing sister-in-law uncovers bombshells and twisted family secrets. " Entertainment Weekly The Ludlows are a hard-charging family, and patriarch Carl Ludlow treats his offspring like employeeswhich they are. But his daughter, Fina, is a bit of a black sheep. A law school dropout, her father keeps her in the fold as the firms private investigator, working alongside her brothers.
Juggling her family of high-powered (and highly dysfunctional) attorneys, the cops and Bostons criminal element is usually something Fina does without breaking a sweat. But when her sister-in-law disappears, shes caught up in a case unlike any shes encountered before.
Carl wants things resolved without police interference, but the deeper Fina digs, the more impossible that seems. The Ludlows close ranks, and her brother Rand and his unruly teenage daughter Haley grow mysteriously distant from the family. As Fina unearths more dirt, the demands of family loyalty intensify. But Fina is after the truthno matter the cost.
Review
and#8220;
Loyaltyand#8217;s Fina Ludlow is my hero. If I were in a bad spot, Iand#8217;d want her at my back. Donand#8217;t miss it.and#8221;and#8212;Catherine Coulter, # 1
New York Times bestselling author
and#8220;In her debut novel, Ingrid Thoft gives us Fina Ludlow, the newest private eye to prowl Bostonand#8217;s mean streets. Fina returns the female detective to the heart of the hard-boiled tradition: hard-drinking, hard-loving, moody. Writer Ingrid Thoft has given her a dysfunctional extended family that rivals the Ewings of Dallas fame, which adds a dimension not often seen in the PI novel.and#8221;and#8212;Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author
and#8220;Loyalty, Ingrid Thoftand#8217;s strong debut, is gripping, and Fina Ludlow, the black sheep of her male-dominated family of ambulance chasers, elevates it to a must-read. A seductive combination of sass and smarts, Fina reminds us just how hard it is for women in a male-dominated world without ever giving an inch. Loyalty reminds me just how great a PI novel can be. This is the start of something big.and#8221;and#8212;Ridley Pearson, New York Times bestselling author
"What starts, in Thoftand#8217;s dazzling first novel, as a missing-persons case for Boston PI Fina Ludlowand#8212;the search for her sister-in-law, Melanieand#8212;swells through layers of familial secrets, lies, and betrayals to something approaching Greek tragedy....Readers will be eager to see more of smash-mouth Fina, a hard-boiled throwback equally comfortable shooting from the hip or the lip."
and#8212;and#160;Publishers Weeklyand#160;(starred)
and#8220;Thoftand#8217;s promising debut introduces a significantly flawed but tough new PI and offers up compelling suspense, while the smooth prose keeps things moving right alongand#8230;.This mystery wrapped in family drama should please fans of contemporary suspense of the more hard-boiled sort.and#8221;
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#8212;and#160;Library Journal
and#8220;(Fina) Ludlow has the shrewdness of her parents and siblings but she has compassion, too. Fans of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries will enjoy this engaging debut.and#8221;
and#8212;and#160;and#160;and#160; Booklist
and#160;
Review
“(Fina) Ludlow has the shrewdness of her parents and siblings but she has compassion, too. Fans of the Kinsey Millhone mysteries will enjoy this engaging debut.”
— Booklist
"What starts, in Thofts dazzling first novel, as a missing-persons case for Boston PI Fina Ludlow—the search for her sister-in-law, Melanie—swells through layers of familial secrets, lies, and betrayals to something approaching Greek tragedy....Readers will be eager to see more of smash-mouth Fina, a hard-boiled throwback equally comfortable shooting from the hip or the lip." —Publishers Weekly (starred)
"LOYALTY's Fina Ludlow is my hero. If I were in a bad spot, I'd want her at my back. Don't miss it."
— # 1 New York Times-bestselling author Catherine Coulter
"In her debut novel, Ingrid Thoft gives us Fina Ludlow, the newest private eye to prowl Boston's mean streets. Fina returns the female detective to the heart of the hard-boiled tradition: hard-drinking, hard-loving, moody. Writer Ingrid Thoft has given her a dysfunctional extended family that rivals the Ewings of Dallas fame, which adds a dimension not often seen in the PI novel." — New York Times-bestselling author Sara Paretsky
"LOYALTY, Ingrid Thoft's strong debut, is gripping, and Fina Ludlow, the black sheep of her male-dominated family of ambulance chasers, elevates it to a must-read. A seductive combination of sass and smarts, Fina reminds us just how hard it is for women in a male-dominated world without ever giving an inch. LOYALTY reminds me just how great a PI novel can be. This is the start of something big."
— New York Times-bestselling author Ridley Pearson
Review
Praise for Ingrid Thoft “Kinsey Millhone, youve got competition. This firecracker of a series starter is a perfect summer read. It introduces Fina Ludlow, the in-house private investigator for her familys ethically shaky law firm. What starts as a search for her missing sister-in-law uncovers bombshells and twisted family secrets.” —Entertainment Weekly “Thoft skillfully balances the array of business, family, and cryobank-related motives, and she crafts a great climax. Scrappy Finas character is uncommonly fully realized. . . . Readers will find plenty to love about her.” —Booklist
Review
Praise for Loyalty “Fina Ludlow is my hero.”—Catherine Coulter, # 1 New York Times bestselling author
“Fina returns the female detective to the heart of the hard-boiled tradition: hard-drinking, hard-loving, moody.”—Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author
“Sizzling.”—Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
When your familyand#8217;s on the wrong side of the lawand#133;what side are you on?
The Ludlows are a family of fast-talking Boston lawyers, and patriarch Carl Ludlow treats his offspring like employeesand#151;which they are. Black-sheep daughter, Fina, dropped out of law school, but her father keeps her in the fold as the firmand#8217;s private investigator, working alongside her brothers.
Juggling family, business, cops and crooks is no problem for Fina. But when her sister-in-law disappears, sheand#8217;s caught up in a case unlike any sheand#8217;s encountered before.
Carl wants things resolved without police, but the deeper Fina digs, the more impossible that seems. As she unearths more dirt, the demands of family loyalty intensify. But she is after the truthand#151;no matter where it liesand#133;
Synopsis
Gutsy, relentless, wisecracking P.I. Fina Ludlow is back with her most hard-hitting case yet in the critically acclaimed series by Ingrid Thoft. When soccer mom Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen and left with a life-threatening injury, Fina Ludlow is hired by Lizs mother to identify her attacker. Its unusual for Fina to take a case that isnt connected to the family firm, Ludlow and Associates, but Liz was in the process of suing her alma mater, New England Universitya suit that could be a legal gold mine.
Twenty years earlier, Liz was an NEU soccer star known for her physical toughness; however, a serious cognitive decline has soured her soccer memories. Shes convinced that her aggressive style of playand the universitys willingness to ignore head injuries in favor of a winhas put her health and her future in jeopardy, and someone needs to be held responsible.
Was Liz attacked to stop her lawsuit, or were there other secrets in the seemingly innocent womans life? Fina convinces her father and boss, Carl, to take the case, and discovers that wading into the financially lucrative and emotionally charged world of collegiate sports requires nerves of steel. As the list of suspects grows and hidden agendas are revealed, Fina wonders if any game is worth the price.
Synopsis
Its been a couple of months since Finas last big casethe one that exposed dark family secrets and called Finas family loyalty into questionbut theres no rest for the weary, especially when your boss is Carl Ludlow. Renata Sanchez, a single mother by choice, wants to learn the identity of her daughter Rosies sperm donor. A confidentiality agreement and Rosies reticence might deter other mothers, but not Renata, nor Carl, whos convinced that lawsuits involving cryobanks and sperm donors will be the next big thing.” Fina uncovers the donors identity, but the solution to that mystery is just the beginning: within hours of the donors identity going public, the donor turns up dead.
Fina didnt sign on for a homicide investigation, but she cant walk away from a murder she may have set in motion. As she digs deeper, she discovers that DNA doesnt tell the whole story, and sometimes cracking that code can have deadly consequences.
About the Author
Ingrid Thoft was born in Boston and is a graduate of Wellesley College. Her interest in the PI life and her desire to create a believable PI character led her to the certificate program in private investigation at the University of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her husband. Her first novel, Loyalty, introduced the character of Fina Ludlow.