Mystery: What the Dead Know

Buried secrets, hidden lies

A hit and run takes place on a Maryland highway, and a very cold murder case heats up. The police pick up the woman driver, who has a minor head injury, and the story she begins to tell is stunning. She knows so much about the disappearance of a pair of sisters more than 15 years ago, so she must know what she’s talking about. The trouble is, she refuses to identify herself.

Laura Lippman teases her readers with one electifying discovery after another, not releasing us from suspense until the final surprising chapter. This is a literate, thinking person’s mystery, with layers of nuance, characters so genuine you wish you knew them, and an intricate, credible plot that never lets up for a minute. She skillfully presents the unsolved crime from the point of view of those most fully involved, from the victims to the perpetrators to the police. This is top notch crime writing, and I’ll be checking out Lippman’s other titles.