Laura Lippman

'Effortlessly absorbing' TANA FRENCH'A page-turner.' KATE ATKINSON'Playful and witty and completely absorbing.' ANN CLEEVES'The master.' GILLIAN FLYNN Meet Mrs Blossom. . . A widower who has never left the USA grandmother with a knack for blending inA lottery winner with an unexpected fortuneDetermined to finally see the world, she's starting with a cruise along the Seine.Just twenty-four hours into Mrs Blossom's trip, however, a man is dead, a precious artefact is missing, and a mysterious stranger is claiming her life is in danger. Surrounded by luxury food, quaint towns and people with staggeringly high net worths, she has no idea who she can trust.But maybe blending into the background has its perks - whoever is responsible will never see this most unlikely of detectives coming.Readers loved Murder Takes a Vacation:'Mrs. Blossom is a delight!' ?????'Charming, fun, a little sassy, and always observant. What a lovely treasure of a read.' ?????'Every single person I know needs to read this book immediately. . . Imagine The Maltese Falcon starring Miss Marple and Tom Ripley.' ?????'A fun mystery, Laura really shares some poignant observations about age, body image and just feeling invisible as a woman. Definitely recommend!' ?????

"Murder Takes a Vacation has all Laura Lippman's trademark razor-sharp insight and effortlessly absorbing writing, plus huge amounts of warmth and fun. Mrs. Blossom is a pure joy, and I'm already hoping for more." -Tana FrenchHighly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery...that only she can solve. A New York Times "Best Beach Reads of Summer" One of Washington Post's "Best Mysteries to Read This Summer"One of Boston Globe's "Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List"One of Minneapolis Star Tribune's "24 terrific books for the beach, cabin or lawn chair you'll want to read this summer"One of Chicago Tribune's Summer Books 2025Mrs. Blossom has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, everything changes. She is determined to see the world that she sometimes feels is passing her by.When Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who's sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.She also didn't expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn't supposed to be in.Now Mrs. Blossom doesn't know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He is convinced that Allan was transporting a stolen piece of art, and Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan's death.Mrs. Blossom's questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?

"Whenever a new Laura Lippman comes out there is reason to celebrate " --Louise PennyHighly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with an irresistible mystery featuring Muriel Blossom, a former private investigator and middle-aged widow whose vacation on a Parisian river cruise turns into a deadly international mystery...that only she can solve. Mrs. Blossom has a knack for blending into the background, which was an asset during her days assisting private investigator Tess Monaghan. But when she finds a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, everything changes. She is determined to see the world that she sometimes feels is passing her by.When Mrs. Blossom booked her cruise through France on the MS Solitaire, she did not expect to meet Allan on her transatlantic flight. He is the first man who's sparked something inside her since her beloved husband passed.She also didn't expect Allan to be found, dead, twenty-four hours later in Paris, a city he wasn't supposed to be in.Now Mrs. Blossom doesn't know who to trust on board the ship, especially when a mystifying man, Danny, keeps popping up around every corner, always present when things go awry. He is convinced that Allan was transporting a stolen piece of art, and Mrs. Blossom knows more than she lets on, regarding both the artifact and Allan's death.Mrs. Blossom's questions only increase as the cruise sails down the Seine. Why does it feel like she is being followed? Who was Allan, and why was he killed? Most alarmingly, why do these mysterious men keep flirting with her?

**NOW A MAJOR APPLE TV+ SERIES STARRING NATALIE PORTMAN**'A real triumph of storytelling and suspense.' Daily Mail'A very special kind of twisted genius.' SARAH HILARY'Complex, hard-hitting and unflinching' Irish Times'Aching, thoughtful, and compulsively readable.' Vanity FairA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERCleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Apart from her parents and her two young sons, no one seems to have noticed. Until Maddie Schwartz, working her first job at the Baltimore Sun, hears of a body that has been pulled from the fountain in a city park. Thinking it's a lead that could make her name, she soon finds that, in 1966, this is a story no-one wants her to tell. . . What readers are saying:***** 'A twisty, thrilling, mesmerising ride. I couldn't 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 didn't let go.'

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman returns with a dark, timely thriller about painful secrets

"Well-plotted, well-written, clear-eyed. I never saw the end coming. There's a hell of a one-two punch waiting for you." --Stephen KingNew York Times bestseller Laura Lippman tells the story of Amber Glass, desperately trying to get away from her tabloid past but compulsively drawn back to the city of her youth and the prom date who destroyed everything she was reaching for. Amber Glass has spent her entire adult life putting as much distance as possible between her and her hometown of Baltimore, where she fears she will forever be known as "Prom Mom"--the girl who allegedly killed her baby on the night of the prom after her date, Joe Simpson, abandoned her to pursue the girl he really liked. But when circumstances bring Amber back to the city, she realizes she can have a second chance--as long as she stays away from Joe, now a successful commercial real estate developer, married to a plastic surgeon, Meredith, to whom he is devoted. The problem is, Amber can't stay away from Joe. And Joe finds that it's increasingly hard for him to ignore Amber, if only because she remembers the boy he was and the man he said he was going to be. Against the surreal backdrop of 2020 and early 2021, the two are slowly drawn to each other and eventually cross the line they've been trying not to cross. And then Joe asks Amber to help him do the unthinkable . . . and she must decide if she is willing to let their toxic and dangerous past repeat itself.

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman showcases why she is one of today's top crime writers in this acclaimed collection of suspenseful stories featuring fierce women--including one never-before-published novella."A first-rate collection, an obvious must for the legions of Lippman fans, but also great reading for anyone who savors short crime fiction." -- Booklist (starred review)The award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories.In the never-before-published "Just One More," a married couple--longing for that old romantic spark--creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences.Lippman's beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father in "Seasonal Work," while her mother, Judith, realizes that the life of "The Everyday Housewife" is an excellent cover for all kinds of secrets.In "Slow Burner," a husband's secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife.A father's hidden past piques the curiosity of a young snoop in "The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes."Plus seven other brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong--irrefutable evidence that Laura Lippman's riveting fiction will more than satisfy any crime reader.

Booklist Editors' Choice Called One of the Best Mystery Books by NPR, Washington Post, Crime Reads, Library Journal, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Dublin City Library "With this tip of the hat to Stephen King's Misery, Dream Girl is funny and suspenseful, with a dread-worthy final twist." --People"My dream novel. I devoured this in three days. The sharpest, clearest-eyed take on our #MeToo reckoning yet. Plus: enthralling." --Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The FeverFollowing up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake, Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.Aubrey, the title character of Gerry Andersen's most successful novel, Dream Girl, is so captivating that Gerry's readers insist she's real. Gerry knows she exists only in his imagination. So how can Aubrey be calling Gerry, bed-bound since a freak fall? A virtual prisoner in his penthouse, Gerry is dependent on two women he barely knows: his incurious young assistant, and a dull, slow-witted night nurse.Could the cryptic caller be one of his three ex-wives playing a vindictive trick after all these years? Or is she Margot, an ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to insinuate her way back into Gerry's life?And why does no one believe that the call even happened?Isolated from the world, drowsy from medication, Gerry slips between reality and dreamlike memories: his faithless father, his devoted mother; the women who loved him, the women he loved.Now here is Aubrey, threatening to visit him, suggesting that Gerry owes her something. Is the threat real or a sign of dementia? Which scenario would he prefer? Gerry has never been so alone, so confused - and so terrified.And then he wakes up to another nightmare--a woman's dead body next to his bed--and the terrifying uncertainty of whether he is responsible.

'[Lippman] only seems to be getting better.' Entertainment Weekly'A 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 husband's secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife. Lippman's 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 Lippman's 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 I've ever read. I want to read everything this woman has written.'***** 'Such a unique collection of short stories. All excellent. I couldn't wait to finish each one.'***** 'Fantastic Stories!!! Her short stories blew me away!'***** 'Phenomenal. . . proof that you don't need 250 pages to write a killer story!'

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER'Spine-chilling' ERIN KELLY'Enthralling.' MEGAN ABBOTT'I was utterly hooked' Stylist'Keeps you guessing until the very last chapter.' Sunday TimesFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHORYears ago Gerry Anderson wrote a novel about his dream girl, Aubrey, and for years people speculated about who she must have been based on.Now, with Gerry unwell and bed bound, he thinks someone is trying to contact him, someone claiming to be the real Aubrey.As Gerry's about to find out, dreams can quickly turn to nightmares. . .What readers are saying:***** 'A very clever crime novel that should keep your thoughts spinning for quite. Highly recommended!***** 'It's going to be stitched up in the end, you may not actually see it coming. I didn't, and I'm glad Ms. Lippman kept me guessing.'***** 'A Dream Read! hould definitely go on everyone's 'must read' list.'***** 'Many twists that I did not see coming! I highly recommend! I could not put this down once I started!'

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman showcases why she is one of today's top crime writers in this acclaimed collection of suspenseful stories featuring fierce women--including one never-before-published novella."A first-rate collection, an obvious must for the legions of Lippman fans, but also great reading for anyone who savors short crime fiction." -- Booklist (starred review)The award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories.In the never-before-published "Just One More," a married couple--longing for that old romantic spark--creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences.Lippman's beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father in "Seasonal Work," while her mother, Judith, realizes that the life of "The Everyday Housewife" is an excellent cover for all kinds of secrets.In "Slow Burner," a husband's secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife.A father's hidden past piques the curiosity of a young snoop in "The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes."Plus seven other brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong--irrefutable evidence that Laura Lippman's riveting fiction will more than satisfy any crime reader.

New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman showcases why she is one of today's top crime writers in this acclaimed collection of suspenseful stories featuring fierce women--including one never-before-published novella."A first-rate collection, an obvious must for the legions of Lippman fans, but also great reading for anyone who savors short crime fiction." -- Booklist (starred review)The award-winning master of psychological suspense is in top form in this collection of diverse and diabolically clever stories.In the never-before-published "Just One More," a married couple--longing for that old romantic spark--creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences.Lippman's beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father in "Seasonal Work," while her mother, Judith, realizes that the life of "The Everyday Housewife" is an excellent cover for all kinds of secrets.In "Slow Burner," a husband's secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife.A father's hidden past piques the curiosity of a young snoop in "The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes."Plus seven other brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games, and love gone wrong--irrefutable evidence that Laura Lippman's riveting fiction will more than satisfy any crime reader.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER'Spine-chilling' ERIN KELLY'Enthralling.' MEGAN ABBOTT'I was utterly hooked' Stylist'Keeps you guessing until the very last chapter.' Sunday TimesFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHORYears ago Gerry Anderson wrote a novel about his dream girl, Aubrey, and for years people speculated about who she must have been based on.Now, with Gerry unwell and bed bound, he thinks someone is trying to contact him, someone claiming to be the real Aubrey.As Gerry's about to find out, dreams can quickly turn to nightmares. . .What readers are saying:***** 'A very clever crime novel that should keep your thoughts spinning for quite. Highly recommended!***** 'It's going to be stitched up in the end, you may not actually see it coming. I didn't, and I'm glad Ms. Lippman kept me guessing.'***** 'A Dream Read! hould definitely go on everyone's 'must read' list.'***** 'Many twists that I did not see coming! I highly recommend! I could not put this down once I started!'

Booklist Editors' Choice Called One of the Best Mystery Books by NPR, Washington Post, Crime Reads, Library Journal, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Dublin City Library "With this tip of the hat to Stephen King's Misery, Dream Girl is funny and suspenseful, with a dread-worthy final twist." --People"My dream novel. I devoured this in three days. The sharpest, clearest-eyed take on our #MeToo reckoning yet. Plus: enthralling." --Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The FeverFollowing up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake, Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.Aubrey, the title character of Gerry Andersen's most successful novel, Dream Girl, is so captivating that Gerry's readers insist she's real. Gerry knows she exists only in his imagination. So how can Aubrey be calling Gerry, bed-bound since a freak fall? A virtual prisoner in his penthouse, Gerry is dependent on two women he barely knows: his incurious young assistant, and a dull, slow-witted night nurse.Could the cryptic caller be one of his three ex-wives playing a vindictive trick after all these years? Or is she Margot, an ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to insinuate her way back into Gerry's life?And why does no one believe that the call even happened?Isolated from the world, drowsy from medication, Gerry slips between reality and dreamlike memories: his faithless father, his devoted mother; the women who loved him, the women he loved.Now here is Aubrey, threatening to visit him, suggesting that Gerry owes her something. Is the threat real or a sign of dementia? Which scenario would he prefer? Gerry has never been so alone, so confused - and so terrified.And then he wakes up to another nightmare--a woman's dead body next to his bed--and the terrifying uncertainty of whether he is responsible.

Booklist Editors' Choice Called One of the Best Mystery Books by NPR, Washington Post, Crime Reads, Library Journal, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Dublin City Library "With this tip of the hat to Stephen King's Misery, Dream Girl is funny and suspenseful, with a dread-worthy final twist." --People"My dream novel. I devoured this in three days. The sharpest, clearest-eyed take on our #MeToo reckoning yet. Plus: enthralling." --Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The FeverFollowing up on her acclaimed and wildly successful New York Times bestseller Lady in the Lake, Laura Lippman returns with a dark, complex tale of psychological suspense with echoes of Misery involving a novelist, incapacitated by injury, who is plagued by mysterious phone calls.Aubrey, the title character of Gerry Andersen's most successful novel, Dream Girl, is so captivating that Gerry's readers insist she's real. Gerry knows she exists only in his imagination. So how can Aubrey be calling Gerry, bed-bound since a freak fall? A virtual prisoner in his penthouse, Gerry is dependent on two women he barely knows: his incurious young assistant, and a dull, slow-witted night nurse.Could the cryptic caller be one of his three ex-wives playing a vindictive trick after all these years? Or is she Margot, an ex-girlfriend who keeps trying to insinuate her way back into Gerry's life?And why does no one believe that the call even happened?Isolated from the world, drowsy from medication, Gerry slips between reality and dreamlike memories: his faithless father, his devoted mother; the women who loved him, the women he loved.Now here is Aubrey, threatening to visit him, suggesting that Gerry owes her something. Is the threat real or a sign of dementia? Which scenario would he prefer? Gerry has never been so alone, so confused - and so terrified.And then he wakes up to another nightmare--a woman's dead body next to his bed--and the terrifying uncertainty of whether he is responsible.