Scottoline takes another leave of absence from the law firm of Rosato DiNunzio (Exposed, 2017, etc.) to fulfill a mother's fondest wish and then makes her pay through the nose for it.Maggie Ippoliti hasn't seen or heard from her daughter since shortly after she was divorced from the girl's father, startup wizard Florian Desroches. Feeling abandoned by the mother who fell victim to postpartum psychosis, Anna Desroches has never wanted anything to do with Maggieuntil Florian, his second wife, and their two children are all killed in a plane crash, and she's left even more alone. Phoning Maggie from her exclusive boarding school, she asks if she can come live with the mother her father had spent years turning her against. Maggie is over the moon, and her husband, pediatric allergist Noah Alderman, is scarcely less excited. Anna, on her arrival, pronounces her new home perfect and Caleb, the newfound 10-year-old stepbrother whose apraxia makes him slow of speech, adorable. But her storybook homecoming is already curdled, for the opening scene shows Noah on trial for strangling Anna to death in response to her complaints that he's been coming on to her, the injunction she's filed against him, and his bewildered uprooting from his own home. Cutting dexterously back and forth between the events leading up to Anna's murder and the trial that will determine Noah's innocence or guilt, Scottoline makes things even more complicated by presenting the major events of the trial in reverse order just because she can.The result is a nail-biting thriller but a terrible mystery, with the third-act jitters so frequently in evidence in the author's earlier work running amok as they spin out a series of improbable complications, a barrage of shameless cliffhangers, and a culprit ex machina before the absurdly happy ending. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

After 16 years of estrangement, Maggie Ippolliti is overjoyed to hear from her daughter, Anna. There has been no contact between mother and daughter since Anna's birth, when Maggie's ex-husband, Florian, divorced her while she was hospitalized with postpartum psychosis. Maggie has found happiness with her new husband, Noah, and his son, Caleb, but losing Anna left a hole in her heart. Meeting Anna seems to be a dream come true: Anna wants to leave the boarding school where Florian has parked her and move in with Maggie. But, although Noah professes happiness that Anna is living with them, escalating tension between Noah and Anna explodes when Anna accuses him of sexual assault. Weeks later, all of their lives are changed forever when Anna is strangled, and Noah is arrested for her murder. Although Noah insists that he's innocent, Maggie is convinced of his guilt until she discovers a harrowing secret that forces her to question everything. Scottoline, a master at crafting intense family dramas, expertly twists Maggie's reality with a page-turning mix of guilt, self-delusion, and manipulation. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The popularity of Scottoline's Rosato & DiNunzio series notwithstanding, her family-centered stand-alones also do their part to keep this perennially popular author's fans coming back for more.--Tran, Christine Copyright 2018 Booklist

In this nail-biting domestic thriller from Scottoline (One Perfect Lie), prominent Pennsylvania pediatric allergist Noah Alderman, a widower, finds love again with Maggie Ippolitti. She adores his son, and they have a happy life. But everything changes when Maggie gets a call from her daughter, Anna, whom she lost custody of when the girl was six months old. Now a high school student, Anna wants to live with her. Maggie is thrilled at a second chance, and Noah is overjoyed for her. But Anna is manipulative, refuses to follow rules, and pits Maggie against Noah. Tensions mount. When Anna is murdered, Maggie is devastated. Not only is her daughter dead, but Noah is convicted of the crime. Noah claims he's innocent, but Maggie doesn't believe him. After Maggie receives a call from Anna's therapist, however, she realizes things aren't what they appear and embarks on a mission to find the truth. Filled with plenty of twists and complex characters, this entertaining story builds to a satisfying conclusion. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Maggie, Noah, and their son, Caleb, live a comfortable, happy life, but this is a do-over for Maggie. Her first marriage ended in divorce, and, worse, she lost custody of her daughter, Anna, after suffering from postpartum depression. When the phone rings 17 years later, and the caller claims to be Anna, Maggie can hardly believe it. A second chance at a life with her daughter is all she's ever dreamed about. Noah and Caleb are ecstatic, too, and try to help ease the transition for Anna, but something goes terribly wrong. Anna begins making accusations toward Noah, and Maggie doesn't know what to believe, but she will never desert her daughter a second time. As the family tries to come to grips with what's really going on, Noah faces another test-one that might be his undoing. Verdict Once again, Scottoline (Keep Quiet) has written a gripping stand-alone psychological thriller; fans of domestic suspense will snap this one up. [Library marketing.]-Cynthia Price, Francis Marion Univ. Lib., Florence, SC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.