by Lisa Unger
First published 2012
Julian Ross sits in custody, charged with brutally murdering her second husband. Police found her at the crime scene, screaming over his bloody body. She swears she's innocent, but detectives remember her history. Ten years earlier, Julian faced identical charges for her first husband's death and walked free after acquittal. Now the pattern has repeated itself exactly. Julian's mother Eleanor refuses to believe her daughter is guilty. She hires private investigators Lydia and Jeff Mark to prove Julian's innocence and protect her five-year-old grandchildren. Lydia and Jeff are still recovering from their own recent trauma involving Lydia's mother's killer. As they dig deeper into the Ross family, they discover layers of deception. Eleanor appears cold but devoted to her family. Julian seems fragile but determined. The children need protection. Nothing matches the surface appearances. The investigators must separate truth from lies while confronting a killer and their own damaged past.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: family-secrets, unreliable-narrator
Audio CD · Brilliance Audio
Content warnings: murder, violence