This addictive thriller from New York Times bestselling author Alafair Burke draws its details from the author’s own experiences as a criminal law professor and deputy district attorney, creating an exhilarating, true-to-life tale of crime and its consequences.
Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan townhouse, 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 insists that their daughter would never take her own life.
Detective Ellie Hatcher is ready to write it off as a suicide, but one piece of evidence nags at her. When Ellie’s search of Julia’s bedroom and belongings for a matching notebook turns up empty, she's sure there's more to the case than meets the eye.
The ensuing investigation brings the partners inside Julia’s inner circle—an eclectic mix of precocious teenagers at Mahattan’s most elite prep schools and street kids Julia met at Washington Square Park; and Ellie is forced to uncover the truth behind this apparent suicide, navigating Julia's intriguing connections to both New York’s wealthiest—and its most dispossessed.
Alafair Burke is the bestselling author of nine previous novels, including the stand-alones Long Gone and If You Were Here, as well as the Ellie Hatcher series: Dead Connection, Angel's Tip, 212, and Never Tell. A former prosecutor, she now teaches criminal law and lives in Manhattan.
What People are Saying About This
Jeff Ayers
“[Burke] has delivered another winner….Two seemingly different storylines converge in a shocking way, demonstrating Burke’s remarkable abilities as a writer….Hatcher is a complex character, and her journey both personally and professionally will have even the most jaded suspense aficionado rapidly turning the pages.”
Joe Hartlaub
“Burke’s sharp portrayal of characters, both recurring and otherwise, defies stereotype and predictability….Never Tell is perhaps Burke’s most ambitious and complex novel to date, yet it’s also her most readable….will leave the reader thinking about this book long after the last page as been turned.”
Patrick Anderson
“Burke has a good eye for the many faces of New York….Burke’s story is complex, but her pace is fast, her prose is crisp and her duplicitous characters ring true in the Darwinian world she creates.”
Michele Leber
“One of Burke’s trademarks is connecting disparate plotlines, which she does here in spades….Skillfully structured…”
Stacy Alesi
“What initially appears to be a simple story quickly becomes more intricate and compelling, making the pages fly. Highly recommended, especially for Lisa Gardner or Laura Lippman fans.”
