Bücher von Alafair Burke

"Superb.... Equal measures superlative mystery and crack courtroom thriller reminiscent of the great John Lescroart or the William Diehl classic "Primal Fear." We literally never know what's coming next. . . a wholly satisfying and brilliantly constructed whiz bang of a tale." -- Providence JournalIn this breakout standalone novel of suspense in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on a Train, a woman agrees to help an old boyfriend who has been framed for murder--but begins to suspect that she is the one being manipulated. Twenty years ago she ruined his life. Now she has the chance to save it.Widower Jack Harris has resisted the dating scene ever since the shooting of his wife Molly by a fifteen-year-old boy three years ago. An early morning run along the Hudson River changes that when he spots a woman in last night's party dress, barefoot, enjoying a champagne picnic alone, reading his favorite novel. Everything about her reminds him of what he used to have with Molly. Eager to help Jack find love again, his best friend posts a message on a popular website after he mentions the encounter. Days later, that same beautiful stranger responds and invites Jack to meet her in person at the waterfront. That's when Jack's world falls apart. Olivia Randall is one of New York City's best criminal defense lawyers. When she hears that her former fiancé, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide--and that one of the victims was connected to his wife's murder--there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is who would go to such great lengths to frame him--and why? For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets, to absolve herself of guilt from a tragic decision, a secret she has held for twenty years. But as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. The man she knew could not have done this. But what if she never really knew him?

Journalist McKenna Jordan is chasing the latest urban folktale?the story of an unidentified woman who heroically pulled a teenage boy from the subway tracks seconds before the arrival of an oncoming train. When McKenna locates a video snippet that purportedly captures the incident, she thinks she has an edge on the competition scrambling to identify the mystery heroine. McKenna is shocked to discover that the woman in the video bears a strong resemblance to Susan Hauptmann, a close friend?and a classmate of her husband's at West Point?who vanished without a trace ten years earlier. The NYPD concluded that the nomadic Susan?forced by her father into an early military life, floundering as an adult for a fixed identity?simply started over again somewhere else. But McKenna has always believed the truth went deeper than the police investigation ever reached. What might have been a short-lived Metro story sends her on a twisting search that leads across New York City?and to dark secrets buried dangerously close to home. . . .

The latest story dominating the tabloids?the murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick?couldn't be further from Carrie Blank's world handling federal appeals at an elite Manhattan law firm. But then a celebrity trial lawyer calls Carrie with an offer she can't refuse: Anthony Amaro, the serial killer police blamed for the murder of Carrie's older sister, Donna, has new evidence related to Brunswick's murder that he believes can exonerate him. Determined to force the government to catch Donna's real killer, Carrie takes on Amaro's wrongful conviction claim.On the other side of Amaro's case is NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, who, with her partner, J.J. Rogan, is tapped to reassess the investigation that led to Amaro's conviction. The case is personal for them, too: Ellie wonders whether they got the assignment because of her relationship with the lead prosecutor, and Rogan has his own reasons to distrust Amaro's defense team.As the NYPD and Amaro's lawyers search for certainty among years of conflicting evidence, their investigations take them back to Carrie's hometown, where secrets buried long ago lead to a brutal attack?one that makes it clear that someone has gotten too close to the truth.

Even a perfect family has its secrets.Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have every-thing: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan town house, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school. When she is found dead in her bathtub, her parents insist that their daughter would never take her own life.But Julia's enviable world was more complicated than it seemed. The pressure to excel at Casden was enormous; abuse of prescription drugs ran rampant. And a search of Julia's computer reveals that she was engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying.NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but when the Whitmires use their power to force a criminal investigation, Ellie's resistance causes trouble for her both at work and in her personal life. And when the target of Julia's harassment continues to receive death threats, Ellie is forced to acknowledge that Julia may have learned the hard way that some secrets should never be told.

Sein Skandal - ihr Geheimnis.»Von einem Moment auf den anderen verwandelte ich mich in die Frau, die alles für ihren Mann tun würde - wirklich alles.«Als Angela den attraktiven Jason Powell trifft, denkt sie nicht, dass der renommierte Wirtschaftsprofessor sich für sie interessieren könnte, doch zu ihrer Überraschung verliebt sich Jason in sie. Er heiratet sie und nimmt ihren Sohn auf, als wäre es sein eigener. Endlich glaubt Angela, ihre dunkle Vergangenheit hinter sich lassen zu können. Sechs Jahre später ist Jason dank eines Buches zu einem Star geworden - und eine junge Studentin wirft ihm vor, sie sexuell belästigt zu haben. Jason behauptet, unschuldig zu sein, aber dann verschwindet die Studentin spurlos, und Angela wird in einen Strudel aus Schuld und Verdächtigungen gezogen.Ein Thriller, der Maßstäbe setzt."Burkes weibliche Figuren nehmen den Leser sofort für sich ein." Gillian Flynn