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Sunburn: A Novel Hardcover – February 20, 2018
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Named one of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018 by Bustle, Popsugar, Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Seattle Times, Book Riot, LitHub, BookPage, and Paperback Paris.
"Every time Laura Lippman comes out with a new book, I get chills because I know I am back in the hands of the master. She is simply a brilliant novelist, an unflinching chronicler of life in America right now, and Sunburn is her dark, gleaming noir gem. Read it." -Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl
New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals—and cold-blooded murder.
One is playing a long game. But which one?
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?
Something—or someone—has to give.
Which one will it be?
Inspired by James M. Cain’s masterpieces The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, and Mildred Pierce, Sunburn is a tantalizing modern noir from the incomparable Laura Lippman.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWilliam Morrow
- Publication dateFebruary 20, 2018
- Dimensions9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
- ISBN-100062389920
- ISBN-13978-0062389923
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
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Sunburn: A Novel
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Fast-paced and unpredictable, Sunburn is a smart, sly riff on love in a world of trouble that’s puzzling until the very last piece falls into place.” — O, the Oprah Magazine
“Cool and twisty.” — New York Times Book Review
“A masterful mix from a total pro.” — People
“Every time Laura Lippman comes out with a new book, I get chills because I know I am back in the hands of the master. She is simply a brilliant novelist, an unflinching chronicler of life in America right now, and Sunburn is her dark, gleaming noir gem. Read it.” — Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl
“Laura Lippman continues to push the envelope of modern crime-writing. Sunburn, her take on noir, may be her nerviest novel yet, an unsparing look at how lovers can betray one another.” — Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Suspenseful as hell, and she writes like a dream [...] Lippman’s always good, but this is a cut above.” — Stephen King
“Modern noir at its best, it will delight old-movie lovers, satisfy suspense readers, and reward Lippman’s legion of fans.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“You can tell how much fun the author had updating the classic noir tropes, and it’s contagious. Plotty, page-turning pleasure.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This is Lippman at her observant, fiercest best, a force to be reckoned with in crime fiction.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Ingeniously constructed and extremely suspenseful, the novel keeps us guessing right up until its final moments. Lippman is a popular and dependable writer, and this homage to classic noir showcases a writer at the height of her powers.” — Booklist (starred review)
“I feel like it creates a whole new category, which I’m thinking of as ‘femme noir’ [...] She’s taken this traditional noir structure of a man sweeping in to save a woman who then turns around and eats his heart out—she’s turned that notion on its head.” — Wall Street Journal
“The ingenious plot evolves into myriad twists that are as believable as they are surprising [...] Sunburn delivers one of the year’s most intriguing mysteries.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers
“Another extraordinary novel from Laura Lippman—full of just-one-more chapter, stay-up-late suspense, but packed too with nuance, subtlety, observation and humanity. Lippman is a natural storyteller at the height of her powers.” — Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Sunburn was dark but not too dark, thrilling, richly descriptive with an utterly compelling protagonist...I read this book at a furious pace and never forgot about it all year. Sunburn was a reminder that storytelling matters and good storytelling is all too rare.” — Roxane Gay
“spellbinding [...] this corkscrew of a book, with its psychological insights and sensual charisma, proves once again that Ms. Lippman, as a writer, is sui generis.” — Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
“Great book. Well paced. Beautifully observed details. Interesting characters and nuance in the right places. [...] Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the protagonist who is flawed and brilliant and ruthless and unapologetic.” — Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger
“A tantalising, ingeniuously constructed page-turner.” — The Guardian
“Grips like the classic Hollywood black-and-white movie thrillers of the 1930s and 1940s. Sunburn unsettles from its first page.” — The Times (London)
“Note-perfect noir...not to be missed.” — Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Dare Me and The Fever
“A pacy, pithy modern take on the noir tradition...terrific entertainment.” — Sunday Mirror
“For once the blurb doesn’t over-promise. Lippman writes the best opening pages of any thriller so far this year.” — Daily Mail (UK)
From the Back Cover
New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals—and cold-blooded murder.
They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also just passing through. Yet she stays. And he stays—drawn to the mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets.
Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?
Something—or someone—has to give.
About the Author
Since Laura Lippman’s debut, she has been recognized as a distinctive voice in mystery fiction and named one of the “essential” crime writers of the last 100 years. Stephen King called her “special, even extraordinary,” and Gillian Flynn wrote, “She is simply a brilliant novelist.” Her books have won most of the major awards in her field and been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her teenager.
Product details
- Publisher : William Morrow (February 20, 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062389920
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062389923
- Item Weight : 1.01 pounds
- Dimensions : 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #700,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10,459 in Murder Thrillers
- #11,996 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)
- #34,039 in Suspense Thrillers
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Since her debut in 1997, New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman has been recognized as one of the most gifted and versatile crime novelists working today. Her series novels, stand-alones and short stories have all won major awards, including the Edgar and the Anthony, and her work is published in more than 20 countries. A former Baltimore Sun journalist, she has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Glamour and Longreads. "Simply one of our best novelists, period," the Washington Post said upon the publication of the ground-breaking What the Dead Know. She lives in Baltimore and New Orleans with her family.
Follow me:
Website: www.lauralippman.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lauralippman/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauramlippman/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LauraMLippman
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Lippmann has a wonderful way of weaving a plot line not only to keep you interested but to keep you guessing. You need your detective skills as much as you need to watch each character’s back as if it were your own. People who neglect their own, as in children, treat human life as if it’s disposable, note the theme of burn as in sun and fire, and love that can turn on a dime. Hey, that’s the stuff that makes movies so much fun to watch. And, books such a pleasure to read.
Warning: don’t turn your back and always wear sunscreen. And, don’t let the title fool you. The sun might be bright but this book is anything but. It’s as dark as it gets.
Polly is the heart of the story, a femme fatale who doesn't mean to leave a trail of victims in her wake, but that's just how things work out. It's a good read, a classic noir story that leaves the reader with lots to think about.
Top reviews from other countries
This book is in essence a modern update on classic noir, most notably THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE and DOUBLE INDEMNITY by noir master James M. Cain, both of which are referenced by name in SUNBURN. Lippman's novel has all the nihilistic, hopeless darkness of classic noir, as well as the deviously clever & dangerous femme fatale. But Lippman plays with such convention by continuously swinging the reader's perception of Polly in many directions, and this paired with the themes of domestic abuse and toxic masculinity result in a novel that ultimately comments on the undeniable misogyny that provided a backbone to much of classic noir, while being entertaining as hell. This makes SUNBURN feel modern, and it's refreshing to not have to ignore blatant sexism in an otherwise brilliant story. Actually, it's great reading about a complex, devious, intelligent woman in this genre and I want more of it. If you're thinking GONE GIRL, you'd be exactly on point. This is a similar kind of tale.
As dark, unpredictable, and seductive as its protagonist, SUNBURN is one of those novels you read that remind you of your own shortcomings as a writer. Lippman writes in a manner that seems effortless but is intricate and layered. This was the first Lippman novel I've read but it will be far from the last.
Self-contained, sexy mid-thirties redhead Polly Costello has jumped ship from her old life and abandoned her husband Gregg and three-year-old daughter, Jani, in the midst of a beach vacation in nearby Fenwick. Hitching a ride with a duffel bag in tow and her sights set on a quickie divorce in Reno, Belleville is neither her intended destination or a designated resting point. Planning to make a few bucks cash in hand and be on her way by the fall she manages to ingratiate herself with the waitress and owner of the High-Ho diner, wheedles a job and books an open-ended stay at the motel opposite. Without ever giving too much away, Lippman makes sure to lace the narrative with juicy details, including Polly’s dislike of being trapped in a life that does not suit given her experience of having served prison time! This hook is just one of many that are casually tossed into the mix as the story plays out. As a woman with plans, clearly Polly has ulterior motives for her standoffish persona, vague answers and loathing of attachment, all of which are a necessary means to an end. Given she has form for pulling this kind of stunt and an umbrella of identities with an abusive first husband murdered, a commuted sentence and a previous child all under the name of Pauline Ditmars she is quite the enigma!
Adam Bosk is a thirty-eight-year-old “Ken doll” handsome private eye on a supposedly simple surveillance job with the express purpose of insinuating himself into the lives of Gregg and Pauline Hansen with the intention being to find out if Pauline is hiding a pot of gold from an insurance scam. Fleeing her husband and showing up alone in another town as Polly wasn’t envisaged and her siren eyes and taciturn flirting throw the first spanner into the works for straight-shooter Adam. Hired by sixty-three-year insurance broker, Irving Lowenstein, can he afford to trust his client or Polly and can he recognise the “feral” women with “no capacity for genuine emotion” that Lowenstein speaks of?
Pretty soon the chemistry takes over, with Adam working alongside Polly as the diner chef and an elaborate game of cat and mouse pursuit underway with both parties having their own interests forefront in their minds. However, with each party torn as to how much they reveal given their original agendas and in uncharted waters for the first time as lust gives way to love, you wouldn’t like to say who holds the upper hand but given her trail of destruction, it would take a fool not to plump for Polly. All bets go off the table when a suspicious death in Belleville gives Adam cause for concern and Polly seems content to put down roots in the town. For a patient Polly prepared to play the long game the humdrum routine and harmonious existence brings its own benefits and charm, but is Adam being naive to think that possibly she’s been dealt a rough draw in life?
For the first two-thirds of the novel, Sunburn crackles with tension with Lippman peppering the absorbing drama with fresh disclosures and adding layers to the web of deceit that Polly has left in her wake, however crucially the reader is also presented with a fair few of her ingenious schemes and elaborate ruses that prove as satisfying as hitting the jackpot! Reluctant to even waste a word the crisply descriptive prose adds an air of mystique and danger to the simmering affair which against each of their bester judgement holds them rapt. Admittedly the pace and pizzazz of the final third does abate somewhat, perhaps due to setting up several key elements all of which are necessary for the denouement to slot into place, but when it comes, it is worth the wait! One thing is for sure, Polly is the one in charge all the way!
The character development of Polly is one of the most impressive aspects of this novel and Lippman plays her readers beautifully as my opinion gradually shifted from one of horrified fascination to sheer admiration of an independent woman who dances to her own beat and knows what she wants, regardless of the sacrifices and collateral damage along the way. Given some of the callous words that come out of her mouth this is no easy feat, Although she isn’t likeable or entirely trustworthy it is hard not to admire her and the unfathomable question of just what it takes for a woman to walk out on her old life and a child is answered by way of her backstory that invites sympathy once seen objectively and in its entirety. Most fascinating is Polly’s ability to inveigle men to protect her and the lengths they are prepared to go to. In contrast Adam feels less pivotal to the story and as such, easily replaceable with any boy next door generic male.
The story is given depth by way of the fleeting cast of secondary characters none of whom are entirely selfless and weigh into the mid-1990’s mindset of an obsession with money and power. Astutely observant, the writing comes with the air of maturity and by the end of this encounter Belleville, its surroundings and every one of the characters conceivable and add to the enjoyment. Razor-sharp plotting, nuanced character observations and palpable suspense. A delight to read that comes with the added joy of leaving its readers guessing right until the last page. Sunburn is a slow burning psychological study of manipulation, betrayal and sexual desire. Definitely not my last Laura Lippman, even if this is her first slice of noir.
Others reviewers have been keen to mention that Sunburn takes its inspiration from the novels of James M. Cain such as The Postman Always Rings Twice and his brand of 1940’s noir but not having read these works I would compare the dextrous plotting, complicated well-drawn characters and the unfolding series of well-timed revelations with the brilliance of The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson.
Review written by Rachel Hall (@hallrachel)
Well written. It keeps you wondering where the heck it is heading.
I will recommend this writer to my friends and can't wait to read another by the same author.