Additional information
by Alafair Burke (Author)
A new murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads Detective Ellie Hatcher into a twisting investigation with explosive and deadly results in this superb mystery from the "terrific web spinner" (Entertainment Weekly) Alafair Burke.
When psychotherapist Helen Brunswick is murdered in her Park Slope office, the entire city suspects her estranged husband--until the District Attorney's office receives an anonymous letter. The letter's author knows a chilling detail that police have kept secret: the victim's bones were broken after she was killed. Her injuries were eerily similar to the signature used twenty years earlier by Anthony Amaro, a serial killer serving a life sentence for his crimes. Now, Amaro is asking to be released from prison, arguing that he was wrongly convicted, and that the true killer is still on the loose.
NYPD Detectives Ellie Hatcher and JJ Rogan are tapped as the "fresh look" team to reassess the original investigation that led to Amaro's conviction. The case pits them against both their fellow officers and a hard-charging celebrity defense lawyer with a young associate named Carrie Blank, whose older sister was one of Amaro's victims.
As the NYPD and Amaro's lawyers search for certainty among 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 terrifyingly clear that someone has gotten too close to the truth.
Front Jacket
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.
--Michael Connelly, author of The Burning RoomBack Jacket
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.
