Description

From the NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author, a gripping murder mystery about a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco.

Indiana Jackson is 33 years old and works in an alternative medicine clinic in San Francisco that attracts all sorts of characters, some of them skeptics, who fall for her candor and humility. Her teenage daughter, Amanda likes noir literature and hopes to attend MIT, where she will be with Bradley, an old friend that she plans to marry, with or without his consent. In her free time, she plays Ripper, an online role playing game that involves solving real-life mysteries and crimes using information collected by Amanda’s father, the Chief Inspector of the San Francisco police. Amanda plays the game via Skype with adolescents from all over the world and with her best friend, her grandfather Blake. Each player in the game has a virtual personality: Amanda is the game master, and Blake is her henchman; the others are Sherlock Holmes, Colonel Paddington, Esmeralda, and the psychic Abatha.

When Ripper’s latest murder mystery-”the case of the misplaced bat”-begins to touch their real-world lives, Amanda and her friends know they must solve the case and find the murderer before he can strike again.

RIPPER is a true thriller, with the twists, surprises, well-placed clues, and revelations that lead to a climatic finale. A rich and generous novel, filled with humor but increasingly dark, it’s a fast-paced read that grabs you right from the start and keeps you glued to the page.

About the author(s)

Isabel Allende is the author of twelve works of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Maya’s Notebook, Island Beneath the Sea, Inés of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and a novel that has become a world-renowned classic, The House of the Spirits. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.

Reviews

“Allende’s tightly plotted tale of crimes obvious and masked is sharply perceptive, utterly charming, and intensely suspenseful.” — Booklist, starred review

“A rip-roaring, entertaining crime novel. . . .  Allende remains a remarkable spinner of stories. Her prose is sparkling and graceful . . . her ability to portray passion and action undimmed. Ripper grabs you, toys with you, amuses you…” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“The novelist’s charming first murder mystery features an irresistible teenage sleuth.” — New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice

“Thoroughly charming book. . . . A lot of fun to read.” — New York Times Book Review

“Literary icon Isabel Allende mesmerizes with her first crime novel…this race-against-the-clock thriller is pure magic.” — People Magazine, Four Stars

“Appealing characters, a fast-paced plot, and a successfully imagined killer add up to great entertainment.” — Library Journal

“[Allende’s] facility with plotting and pacing will keep readers turning the pages.” — Publishers Weekly

“It must have been surprising to discover that [Allende’s] particular literary strengths - a talent for dramatization, a delight in world-building and a passion for investigating relationships between family members - lend themselves so well to a genre she’s never bothered with before. I am hoping she’ll continue her killings.” — San Francisco Chronicle

“There are deliciously creepy elements in Ripper, much like those in the dark Scandinavian crime novels one of its characters loves.” — Seattle Times

“Allende doesn’t miss a beat, smoothly exposing the underbelly of the city and the shenanigans of its wealthy elite. You might guess the identity of the killer before the last pages, but you won’t care-the shocks and unexpected twists will keep you riveted until the end.” — More magazine

“Like many of Allende books it’s a joy to read with sentences to savor and read aloud. An excellent novel, RIPPER is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.” — I Love a Mystery (Blog)