‘Echoes Dennis Lehane’s SHUTTER ISLAND and Alice Sebold’s THE LOVELY BONES … but surpasses them’ Washington Post
A woman causes an accident on a major highway, flees the scene and is later picked up wandering on the shoulder of the Interstate. The accident occurs just a mile from the former home of the Bethany family. Thirty years before, twelve-year-old Heather persuaded her older sister Sunny to let her tag along on a visit to the mall. Neither of the girls has been seen since.
Now, the woman on the Beltway claims to be Heather Bethany. Today she has a different name; a different identity. What has prompted this woman to announce her true – if it is true – identity at this moment?
As the layers of Heather’s past are revealed, secrets are discovered about her parents, sister, friends, teachers, and the detective who handled the case – until finally the shocking truth is uncovered about what really happened to Heather and Sunny on that long ago afternoon.
A woman causes an accident on a major highway, flees the scene and is later picked up wandering on the shoulder of the Interstate. The accident occurs just a mile from the former home of the Bethany family. Thirty years before, twelve-year-old Heather persuaded her older sister Sunny to let her tag along on a visit to the mall. Neither of the girls has been seen since.
Now, the woman on the Beltway claims to be Heather Bethany. Today she has a different name; a different identity. What has prompted this woman to announce her true – if it is true – identity at this moment?
As the layers of Heather’s past are revealed, secrets are discovered about her parents, sister, friends, teachers, and the detective who handled the case – until finally the shocking truth is uncovered about what really happened to Heather and Sunny on that long ago afternoon.
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Reviews
Laura Lippman heightens the tension without any savagery or melodrama, while at the same time exploring the nature of family relationships in all their misery and necessity. WHAT THE DEAD KNOW is an impressive and engaging novel
Laura Lippman is best known for her excellent Tess Monaghan PI series, but she occasionally writes a stand-alone novel and WHAT THE DEAD KNOW is one of her best
An excellent mystery and a thoughtful exploration of the nature and effects of grief and loss
Shamefully late in the day, I've caught up with the acclaimed US novelist Laura Lippman, and what a knock-out she is ... This is a real riveting suspense - a humdinger of a book
Hypnotic ... contains echoes of Dennis Lehane's SHUTTER ISLAND and Alice Sebold's THE LOVELY BONES but surpasses them