
May 14, 2013 by Harper Paperbacks
Paperback: 384 pages
Adult-Thriller/Suspense
Warning: Graphic Violence, language, sexuality, murder
Review Copy
4/5 Stars
Even a perfect family has its secrets.
Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: 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, a handwritten suicide note left on her bed, 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 among students. And a search of Julia’s computer reveals that she’d been engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying against an unlikely victim.
NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but she knows from personal experience that a loving family can be the last to accept the truth. As she is pressured to pursue a case she doesn't believe in, she is pulled into Julia’s inner circle—an eclectic mix of precocious teenagers from Manhattan’s most privileged families as well as street kids from Greenwich Village. But 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.
Thoughts
This was my first Burke experience, and it certainly wont be my last.
While I can't share too much about my reading experience as it spoils the plot, I can tell you this was my first Ellie Hatcher mystery and in the beginning I was afraid I would miss some background or character connection, but my likeness for Ellie was almost immediate and I never had a hard time catching up with her life or finding a way to relate to her. Not only does Burke offer a fantastic book straight out of an SVU (only much better) episode, she also offers real life drama, romance and everyday scenarios. I enjoyed that even though the book was riddled with dark topics she broke it up with humor, laughter and some sad moments, making the book a complete package. Nothing screams thrilling mystery better than a story that leaves you guessing at every turn. I loved the spins Burke created in the story to twist my thoughts into mini freak outs, meaning: when I thought I had it figured out, a page later my idea would get blown to bits.

Highly recommended to readers who love intense murder mysteries and crime thrillers.
~Thanks to Harper and TLC Book Tours for review copy~

Alafair Burke is the bestselling author of nine novels, including the thrillers Long Gone and If You Were Here, and the Ellie Hatcher series: 212, Angel’s Tip, and Dead Connection. A former prosecutor, she now teaches criminal law and lives in Manhattan. Find out more about Alafair at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

I LOVE her writing and she is pretty cool in person too. She writes such a good mystery :) Great Review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Man...:) I loved reading this, I cant wait to check out more of her stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this one and I hope you'll pick up more of the Ellie Hatcher books!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour. I'm featuring your review on TLC's Facebook page today.
"I enjoyed that even though the book was riddled with dark topics she broke it up with humor, laughter and some sad moments, making the book a complete package." All three of the ones I've read so far seem to have this exact pattern...makes a really great read! :) Enjoyed your review!
ReplyDeleteThis book keeps coming up again and again. I think my biggest hesitation is the urge to pick up yet another series! They can be very addicting.
ReplyDelete