Lemon in the Basket

by Charlotte Armstrong

First published 2018

Dr. Michael Tyler receives an impossible assignment. A Middle Eastern dictator has sent his son to California for medical treatment, and twenty-eight American hostages hang in the balance. Save the boy, spare the prisoners. Keep it quiet. The Tyler family seems built for such burdens. They boast a theater matriarch, a presidential appointee, a charity fundraiser, a university administrator, and Michael himself, the celebrated surgeon. They call themselves worthy of Paradise. But Rufus Tyler, the family disappointment, sees his chance at last. He will expose the secret negotiations to the press and drag his accomplished relatives into the spotlight. What begins as one man's bid for relevance becomes a national crisis. Rumors spread. Fear takes hold. The Tyler name, once synonymous with respectability, becomes a target. As international politics collide with family loyalty, violence threatens not just the Tylers but the entire country. Michael must navigate between saving his patient, protecting his family, and preventing a catastrophe that could destroy them all.

Genres: suspense, contemporary, action, political-thriller

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water

Setting: California, Middle East

Period: Contemporary

223 pages · Kindle Edition · mysteriouspress.com

Content warnings: violence

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