Una perfetta sconosciuta

by Alafair Burke

Immagina che la polizia arrivi a casa tua e ti mostri una foto in cui tu - con i capelli di quel tuo rosso inconfondibile, il tuo cappotto blu - stai baciando un uomo. Peccato che quell'uomo sia stato trovato morto trentuno ore prima, e tu non ricordi di averlo mai baciato. Anzi, lo conoscevi appena. Era il tuo nuovo capo, l'uomo che ti aveva dato in gestione la galleria per conto di un misterioso proprietario. Il lavoro dei tuoi sogni: ti era sembrato troppo facile, troppo bello per essere vero. Eppure tutto era andato liscio, la galleria esisteva davvero, avevi firmato un contratto regolare. Adesso, però, guardando quella foto capisci che non c'era niente di regolare. Niente di facile. Perché là fuori qualcuno sta cercando di incastrarti, anche se non riesci a immaginare il motivo. Qualcuno che sa molte cose di te. E che forse ti è molto vicino... In questo thriller in cui nulla è come sembra, Alice Humphrey vede crollare intorno a sé, come un castello di carte, ogni certezza. Compresa quella più importante: la sua stessa innocenza.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Crime

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Alafair Burke is the New York Times, Edgar-nominated author of fourteen crime novels, including The Ex, The Wife, The Better Sister, and the forthcoming Find Me. She is also the co-author of several novels with Mary Higgins Clark. A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long Gone tells the story of Alice Humphrey who has one of the oddest and most unfortunate lives ever. I am giving it four stars for good characters, interesting detective work (professional and amateur), suspense, and a total inability on my part to even guess what was going on. Sadly the twist at the end about her father was just one step too far into weirdness for me. Without that this would have been a five star book.

Alafair Burke is a new author to me but judging by this book she is worth looking out for!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Burke’s The Wife and went back for another dose of drama in The Ex, so when I was looking for a well-written suspense to entertain my holiday-addled mind, I went a bit further back and was treated to yet another intricate and well-plotted read.

In this one, the old adage about something seeming too good to be true is played to great effect even if our main character has to be among the most gullible heroines in recorded history. As in most thrillers, a dose of suspension of disbelief is advised. But that doesn’t take away from the imaginative criminal conspiracy, unburying of family secrets and police myopia that Burke portrays.

My only complaint is that the pacing was a bit off. The set up and unfolding meanders a bit, then when it eventually takes off it leaves very little time for all of the threads to come together, and believe me, this is quite a weave of a story. There’s so much to unpack, perhaps a smaller overnight case for the first half and bigger valise for the second might have worked better. Still, five stars for the storyline, three stars for execution for a solid four all around.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me. I didn't really know what to expect but I found myself engrossed. By the time a reasonable person goes to bed, I simply had to finish because I had absolutely no predictions for the end.

The story seemed convoluted with so many seemingly unrelated characters and sub-stories. Surprisingly, the author brought them all together by the end and I must admit, I was surprised by the characters I'd grown to trust, although I had some suspicions about one of them. I was disappointed with the conclusion of the missing teen. It didn't seem to fit seamlessly into the story like the other parts.

The book is along the lines of a Ted Dekker psychological thriller except with a lot more swearing (prepare for "f" bombs) but I was terribly entertained by one character's description of an interaction she had with another character. Her name is Gail and she recounted how someone came in and used words she didn't and wouldn't but her description made me laugh.

Solid, enjoyable read.

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling mystery with an ending I didn’t see coming.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My fourth book by this author since discovering her excellent psychological dramas /mysteries/thrillers back in 2018.

This may be an earlier story but it was still equally as impressive as her more recent and possibly better known books "The Ex", "The Wife" and "The Better Sister" which I can highly recommend reading (I loved them all).
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Alafair writes such wonderfully complex and multifaceted psychological and dysfunctional family dramas. She is so talented at unveiling plot details in a way that keeps you glued to the narrative but still has you guessing madly at the final outcome.
I especially loved how this story had several interesting characters and how we are given many different scenarios and POV's on an almost chapter by chapter basis as well as the police procedural aspects that this author always conveys so convincingly and narrates so "very" well.
Alice was such a great heroine as she is so relatable in an "every-woman" sense....the fact that she has "I won't be a victim" mentality and is relentless in her pursuit of the truth just serves to make her someone that we can totally empathize with and also root for.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!
What can I say...I am totally enamored by Ms. Burke's writing in general as well as her masterful storytelling ability. I definitely have every intention of eventually making my way through her entire book library.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Humphrey is the daughter of a privileged family who is determined to make it on her own in the Big Apple. After being out of work for several months she has a chance meeting with Drew Campbell at an art exhibition. Campbell claims to represent a wealthy anonymous patron of the arts who wants to open a gallery, and Campbell believes that Alice, given her background, would be the perfect person to manage it. Alice accepts the offer and throws herself into the job, heart and soul.

Inevitably in a book like this, when someone offers a character the perfect job, the offer will prove to be too good to be true. Alice learns the sad lesson when she shows up for work one morning only to discover that the storefront where the gallery was located is completely empty, save for the body of Drew Campbell who lies freshly murdered and bleeding out on the floor.

This is definitely bad news. Even worse, Drew Campbell has no history that anyone can discover prior to the night he introduced himself to Alice. There is no way of identifying or locating the mysterious patron who was allegedly behind the gallery, nor can anyone find the artist whose controversial work was prominently featured there. And even worse than that, someone has very carefully and very cleverly put Alice in the frame for the murder. Naturally, Alice's only hope of salvation lies in unraveling a very complex mystery while at the same time staying one step ahead of the police who are certain that they have already identified the guilty party.

Alice Humphrey is a very intelligent, interesting and sympathetic protagonist, and Alafair Burke had woven a very complex and compelling story around her. My one (small) reservation about the book is a subplot that doesn't quite pay off in the end. But that's a minor quibble about a book that deserves a large audience and that will keep you turning the pages long into the night.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by Alafair Burke. The first one, 212, was just okay, but I was willing to give Long Gone a try.

Ooof. It felt like I read this book for at least 10 years. I kept thinking how much I wanted to quit reading it and then realizing I was far enough in that it seemed dumb to stop. I had that conversation with myself about every 50 pages all the way through to the 349 pages my advance copy has. Honestly it was like being trapped in a studio apartment with the kitchen sink drip drip dripping.

I'll admit that I am a huge fan of Ms. Burke's father's books. Her father is James Lee Burke who I think is one of the finest writers in just about any genre and it would be logical for me to compare them, although I've tried hard not to do so. That's been relatively easy since Ms. Burke's writing and storytelling is very different than his. Having said that, this was just awful. Actually, not exactly awful, just very very generic. I had a really hard time differentiating the characters and when she switched point of view I'd have to go back and try to figure out who the person was (even when I'd read about them 20 pages before). Seriously. Same tone of voice, same turn of phrase for every single character.

So, I hated this. I finished it, but I hated it. I won't be reading any of her books again soon.

[☮Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alice Humphrey is set up with a new job running a small gallery in NYC, which is open exactly two days when the guy who hired her is found shot dead inside, and the gallery emptied of all its contents. Alice becomes a suspect in what is also a pretty elaborate frame job, until an FBI agent steps in and helps her when no one else will. There is also a missing teen element that gets tied into the gallery story.
This was a likeable story, where I was able to forsee a few of the twists coming. I will read more of Ms Burke, and soon. 3.5 stars.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spending a long time out of work, Alice Humphrey is pleasantly surprised when she's approached at an art show about running a new art gallery in New York City. At first, Alice believes it's too good to be true and her friends believe it's just an attempt by the handsome young man, Drew, to get her phone number. But it appears Drew's desire to have Alice run a gallery for a controversial artist is on the up and up. The opening is successful and Alice is excited about planning future shows from other artists.

Then things start to go horribly wrong. A group of protesters show up outside the gallery, saying the photographs being sold are exploiting underage minors. When Drew sets a meeting with Alice the next morning at the gallery, she arrives to find the gallery gutted and Drew murdered. Before long, Alice is in the prime suspect in the police investigation into the murder of Drew.

Adding to the layers of complication is the fact that Alice is the daughter of a Hollywood couple--her father an Oscar-winning director, her mother a former actress--and her brother struggles with a drug addiction. Throw into this mix an FBI agent who is obsessed with Drew and was following him despite being told to drop all contact with the man and you've got a story that barrels along at a crisp pace, never allowing the reader to get too comfortable with one interesting revelation before moving on to the next one.

"Long Gone" builds up a palatable sense of something more is going on here than meets the eye, especially in the early chapters. Alafair Burke weaves together several seemingly unconnected threads into a rich tapestry as we slowly discover dark secrets about everyone connected to Alice and the investigation into Drew's murder. And the novel even delivers a stern warning about being careful to monitor your digital footprint. The parties involved in setting up Alice take advantage of her lack of security on her social networking profile to set up events and even cast suspicion upon her.

And while the novel builds up a full head of steam for the first two-thirds of the story, the ending doesn't quite come together as neatly as I'd hoped. Burke puts all the pieces onto the board early enough that the ending doesn't feel like it's cheated or come too far out of left field. However, it's still not as satisfying or compelling as the set-up leading up to the dramatic revelations in the final section of the novel.

"Long Gone" was still intriguing enough that I'm planning to seek our more novels by Alafair Burke, though.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to decide how many stars to give "genre fiction". This was a really solid mystery/thriller, and for genre fiction it was 4 stars (maybe even 5), even if the writing wasn't brilliant or anything. Because we have writers like Tana French and Kate Atkinson, who are "genre" writers but still possess literary mastery, I hold books like this to a different standard.

As far as a classic murder mystery, this was fantastic. It follows all the "rules" of mystery fiction, and had some well-placed subtle clues that led to fantastic twists I didn't see coming. It also was very true to its setting-- it was very New York in a way that felt familiar to me (as in, "I know these people").

Essentially: was this high literature? Nah... was this un-put-down-able and did it captivate my attention and did it have a well-crafted story? absolutely!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good solid read. I'm a sucker for a NYC setting...I wasn't on the edge on my seat constantly wanting more with this one..:which is my favorite way to feel! (Isn't it everyone's?!) I can tell this is one of her earlier works bc boy oh boy has she blossomed into a wonderful writer (her more recent titles). There were twists but I predicted them early on unfortunately...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook and really liked it! My first Alafair Burke book but won’t be my last. Full review to come.

[Amanda McGill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out I'm not a fan of Alafair Burke's standalone novels.

Alice was just handed the job of her dreams, a manager in a new art gallery. She has only worked there a few days when the guy that hired her is found dead and she is the number one suspect. There is also another seemingly irrelevant story line about a teenage girl's disappearance.

Long Gone is really hard to get into, I struggled in the first opening chapters. I didn't like all of the different plots, they seemed like really big leaps from one story line to another. Yes everything did tie together, but I would of preferred one really good mystery with a knock out of an ending. There was some shocking elements that did surprise me.

Blah, the characters. They weren't very likeable, especially the main character Alice. I didn't care too much about her, she was spoiled and self centred.

Overall not a book I would recommend. If you are looking to read something by Alafair Burke check out her Ellie Hatcher series starting with Dead Connection.

[Lesa Divine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 a okay mystery read. It was too much of showing talking and not a lot of during. It got predictable at times. I figured out a bit of it as reading.
Quick read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm tempted to portray myself as smarmy (or sassy?) and simply write of this book: "The only thing 'long gone' was my interest," and leave it at that. But that's jerky, and not something I would appreciate reading about my own work. I am confused by the title, however...and that's only the start of the problems. The "subplot" involving a missing girl seemed to weigh down the main narrative mystery, rather than supporting it--or forwarding it in an interesting way. I think the author might secretly agree with me, since those characters are barely allowed to move or speak without running head-first into a cliche. The worst by far is the missing girl's mother, who actually asks a helpful and friendly cop to come over late at night...sigh. The first twins was obvious to anyone who was paying attention to the photos, and the other "twist" at the end was totally foreshadowed, if one was paying attention (or listened to certain radio shows). But the biggest problem was that I just couldn't muster up the energy to care about the protagonist, her friends, or her family. Her emotional needs seem alternately muddled and incomprehensible. I actually think this might make a decent film, if a good writer wrote the screenplay. Perhaps all the hints and red herrings would not be quite so obvious in that medium.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who's regularly enjoyed the Ellie Hatcher series, I found this stand-alone a great disappointment. Predictable, with a thread about a missing girl that feels irrelevant in the midst of the main plot. This thread is interesting, more so than the main story about a woman framed for a murder she didn't commit. But it's pointless, not suspenseful.

I had a lot of trouble feeling sympathy for Alice, the framed main character, and thought that she got out of her dilemma far too easily. The suspense is minimal. And once it was mentioned that Alice's gloves were real mink-fur-lined, and once she went and ate foie gras (who needs to do that in fiction, unless they're an ignorant snob?) I was hoping she'd get found guilty.

The so-called surprise ending was not. It was predictable. Burke is a good writer, and most of the book moves along well, but the characters don't hold up and the last 1/3 of the novel is a cure for insomnia. I finished it because I was drawn in well enough to be interested in the outcome, but overall found it a waste of my time.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was up until the wee hours of the morning today finishing this clever book! I really enjoyed the humour, as well as the dynamic characters and unexpected twists. I recommend this one, but be prepared to stay up until you reach the end!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Humphrey’s chance meeting with Drew Campbell at first glance appears to be a lucky break. Alice is unemployed and Drew Campbell offers her a chance to run a gallery and be her own boss. Alice’s father is a famous Hollywood producer and Alice had starred in some roles as a child star. Alice harbors some bad feelings towards her father and this opportunity to do something exciting on her own without any help from her family is just too good to pass up.

Alice took Drew up on his offer and opened the Highline Gallery. Drew’s story was that his client was willing to finance the gallery with the provision that Hans Schuler, an artist his client had an interest in, would have a private showing at the gallery. Schuler’s art was anything but normal but Alice felt that she would be able to pick the art shown at the gallery once she got Schuler’s show out of the way. Schuler’s art did sell but it was more from on line orders that walk in customers. The artist had a gimmick of sending a jump drive of his art with each purchase. Alice’s friend Lily at first thought Drew Campbell was just blowing smoke and would never rent the space for the gallery but later encouraged Alice to accept the position. Alice had just gotten the opening over with when suddenly the Highline Gallery is being picketed by a fanatic church organization. The church declared that the art displayed in the gallery was actually child pornography.

Alice’s attempts to contact Drew Campbell or his investor were unsuccessful. Drew finally called Alice to meet him early in the morning at the gallery. Alice arrived at the gallery to find the door unlocked, the gallery empty and a dead body on the floor.

Alice is interviewed by the police and she feels that the police aren’t buying her story. To make matters worse when the police search the gallery premises they find the fingerprint of a young girl who has been reported missing by her mother.

As well as Alice’s story, Long Gone covers one police officer’s diligent search for the missing girl whose fingerprint is found in the gallery. An FBI agent discovers that he has a direct connection to the man who Alice knows as Drew Campbell. He feels Drew Campbell was responsible for the death of his sister. The police in charge of the murder investigation where Alice is a suspect feel they have found the guilty party and do not really want to investigate other options. Meanwhile Alice is frantic in her attempts to prove herself innocent.

This book is like a giant jigsaw puzzle and the author brings the pieces together in a way that makes the reader want to turn the pages faster and faster to see where the next piece will fit.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are a few things that makes a good thriller to me: intriguing plot, lively characters and consistency. This book had none of it, it was poorly written and the characters were a huge flop. I did not care about the murder, what led do it or the rave reviews that this book had. Considering that mystery is my favorite genre, I was anticipating to read a fantastic book. Instead all I got was a forgettable character name Alice who took a job in the art industry, only to find her boss Drew murdered... Ehh that was about it.

This was a poorly, pathetic and lazy book that I regret that I checked out.

Do not get fooled by the hype!

[(NurseLisa) Square Granny from Ohio · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid 4 star read plus it was FREE! (May I highly recommend Barnes and Noble's monthly FREE "Readout" offering? So far, the books have been really, realyngood)...I discovered Burke as a coauthor with Mary Higgins Clark, but had not yet read any of her own work. this was a very good story/mystery, but I'm sure I lost some of the pleasure reading it a chapter or two a day instead of at my own pace....at times, this reading method made it feel like it was taking WAY too long to get to the climax.
still, 100% free, a best selling author, a recent release and a good, solid story. I'm content indeed. ;-)

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long Gone was my first experience reading Alafair Burke, but it definitely will not be my last. I can now include Alafair Burke on my list of favorite female mystery authors.

In Long Gone, unemployed Alice Humphrey meets mysterious Drew Campbell during an art opening. Drew represents an undisclosed wealthy man who plans to open an art gallery featuring his lover's work in its first exhibition. Drew offers Alice the position of gallery manager. Even though the job seems too good to be true, Alice jumps into the position with gusto. Unfortunately, she quickly finds out that her dream job is not so dreamy. First, a group of protesters show up to protest the first exhibition. Then Drew Campbell turns up dead on the floor of an empty gallery. It is as if the gallery never existed. The photographs and the furniture are gone. The space is empty.

Alice is the prime suspect in Drew's death. The police even have photographic evidence of her kissing Drew, except that Alice knows she never kissed Drew. So who is the woman in the photo? Is it a really good Photoshop job or does Alice have a doppelganger? Alice realizes that someone is trying to set her up. Alice happens to be a former child actress and the daughter of an award-winning director. With her name connected to the crime, her whole family is dragged into the tabloids.

Long Gone provides a perfect mix of family secrets, drama and suspense. There are side stories about a missing high school girl and religious protesters that strongly resemble Fred Phelps and his creepy crew. This book is a completely engrossing read.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alafair Burke seems to be a hit for me and LONE GONE was no different. This is my fourth or fifth book and I think you might say that she is one of my steady authors. This book was as twisty as some of the ones before, but I just couldn't get the ending until it happened. In fact, I was pretty sure I had it figured out, but I was wrong! YOU GO ALAFAIR!!!

Smart, well-drawn, and with a plot all its own... It was a major winner!

Poor Alice has been unemployed for a while, but don't feel too sorry for her ... she is a trust fund girl and has some amount of stability in her living situation because of a very rich Daddy. She is the daughter of a Hollywood mogul, who although has stayed married all these years, has had his share of problems with vices. Alice is still a good sister and largely a good daughter, despite having some issues with her parents and of course, the desire to make it on her own.

THEN just when she is getting dismayed, along comes an art broker and offers her a job running an art gallery! OMG, how can she go wrong? Trust me, in so many ways!! I want to write about the plot, but anything from here could ruin the book for you.... and I enjoyed it so much... GO READ IT...

5 stars from me!

Happy Reading!

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd never read this author before, nor am I inclined to struggle again through caricatures of people (at worst, the preacher) or two-dimensional people who do not give much to relationships they're supposedly in, if this book is typical of Ms Burke's writing.

The double (or triple?) plot lines do not work for me, especially the missing teen story threaded throughout. The other story (or two) would work better without the distraction.

As another reviewer said, it was difficult to keep the police characters distinct, other than the FBI investigator.

One wanted to feel some sympathy for someone in this book, but it would be a stretch to care. I finished the book because I can count on one hand the number of books I've put aside over the years, although I think I'm giving myself permission to do this more often.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really delivers on the mystery and edge of the seat suspense! I really liked the writing style. The author has mastered twists and suspense and weaving multiple story lines together. I was hooked from chapter 1. I read it as a serial read on Nook and toward the end it was killing me to wait another day. The intertwining of characters was so complex that I never guessed what would happen next correctly. I never saw anything coming. It wasn't easy or predictable at all. My only criticism is that it actually got too complex. I started to get confused and forget who was who. I also thought one of the story lines, Becca, didn't get enough play. At one point I had totally forgotten about her. But it was a an awesome story.

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Humphrey has been out of work for almost a year. She's an art major with a fairly spotty employment record to begin with but is determined to make her way without help from her famous father. When she has a chance encounter with Drew Campbell, a self proclaimed entrepreneur, at a gallery showing, she's offered a job managing a new gallery for an anonymous client that will initially showcase one artist, Hans Schuler. Alice obviously hadn't heard of the adage about things being too good to be true.

The artist has a controversial collection that sparks controversy immediately following the first showing. Alice is left alone to fend off the media until she finds Drew's body the next morning at the gallery. It becomes clear pretty soon that she's the main suspect and her dream job turns into a nightmare.

This is an extremely interesting story that takes some time to unfold. There are several storylines that seem to have no connection but later begin to intersect. It's a good mystery, even though it is low on the suspense meter. The characters are layered and it isn't clear who can be trusted even to the end. Many are ethically challenged without any redeeming qualities but there are enough who are to keep you invested in the outcome. It's a well-written story that kept my mind challenged throughout.

(NetGalley Review)

[Kelly]

This book is making my eyes glaze over trying to comprehend who these people are and how they connect with each other. It might not even be the book; it might just be me, because I feel like I'm supposed to know things I don't and I'm confused. No star rating--I didn't get far enough in to give it a fair one.

[3 no 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman gets a new job that turns out to be too good to be true. She is hired to run a local “sales” magazine as a cover for investigating a local developer, but she finds financial impropriety, deceit, and of course murder, As always, Burke's are quirky and interesting.

[D.B. Woodling]

Planned review

[Sara Booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partiamo dai pregi: è un libro thriller standalone, senza seguiti, non inserito in una serie poliziesca.
Quindi se volete leggerlo non vi troverete invischiati nelle indagini del detective “tal dei tali” che poi si protrarranno per altri 30 libri.
Altro pregio: il ritmo è (abbastanza) dinamico, i capitoli sono mediamente brevi e avvicendano il punto di vista (in terza persona) di più di un personaggio.
Devo dire che inizialmente la storia è molto molto intrigante e interessante, sebbene nelle prime 150 pagine non si capisca quasi niente di ciò che sta succedendo, però la curiosità di andare avanti e scoprirlo è davvero tanta!
Poi dopo le 150 pagine si inizia a capire qualcosa ma molto poco e anche qui c’è una curiosità infinita di scoprire gli eventi.
Dicevo prima che la lettura è abbastanza dinamica, ma a volte (non sempre) appare un po’ rallentata, soprattutto dalle descrizioni del background dei vari personaggi, perché i personaggi sono molti e c’è la tendenza di spiegare un po’ troppo il loro passato.
La seconda parte del libro, quella in cui finalmente si iniziano a capire i vari intrighi, avrebbe dovuto essere la parte migliore, purtroppo invece ha sortito su di me l’effetto contrario.
I misteri in questo libro sono molti (troppi!), la storia è ingarbugliata eccessivamente e lo sbroglio della matassa è stato di conseguenza eccessivo. Ho infatti trovato tutte le rivelazioni finali esagerate, troppo esagerate.
Se vi piacciono i libri che sul finale vi tengono con gli occhi incollati alle pagine questo libro farà sicuramente al caso vostro, nel mio caso però non mi ha soddisfatta, preferisco pochi colpi di scena e ben piazzati piuttosto che un’accozzaglia di rivelazioni una più incredibile dell’altra.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the job offer seems too good to be true, Alice Humphrey, unemployed for eight months, accepts a position managing a new art gallery in Manhattan. After the opening, she arrives at the gallery one morning to find the dead body of the good-looking, persuasive man who hired her. Soon it becomes obvious that she is the victim of an elaborate frame-up facilitated by social networking. Determined to clear her name and find the truth, Alice sets out to untangle the web of intrigue and deceit that has her entrapped.

I've read a lot of twisty thrillers and mysteries, but this tale of psychological suspense stands out for its originality and unpredictability. The intricate plotting is best described as masterful. The heroine is intelligent, likable, and relentless in her search for the truth; the numerous supporting characters are intriguing; and the writing is excellent.

In short, I loved this book! It's compelling, suspenseful, riveting, as hard to put down as they get. I liked the fictionalized references to recent news events and the allusion to a certain well-known fictional action hero. And I loved how all the plot threads came together in a most unexpected way. It's so well done that now I want to reread the whole novel, watching for all the clues I missed on my first read. I liked the epilogue too. This is a wonderful book that should not be missed by those who enjoy top-notch mysteries and thrillers.