Ellie Hatcher Series by Alafair Burke

In this electrifying thriller, a rookie detective goes undercover on the Internet dating scene to draw out a serial killer targeting single women in Manhattan   When two young women are murdered on the streets of New York, exactly one year apart, Detective Ellie Hatcher is called up for a special assignment on the homicide task force... moreIn this electrifying thriller, a rookie detective goes undercover on the Internet dating scene to draw out a serial killer targeting single women in Manhattan   When two young women are murdered on the streets of New York, exactly one year apart, Detective Ellie Hatcher is called up for a special assignment on the homicide task force. The killer has left behind a clue connecting the two cases to First Date, a popular online dating service, and Flann McIlroy, an eccentric, publicity-seeking homicide detective, is convinced that only Ellie can help him pursue his terrifying theory: someone is using the lure of the Internet and the promise of love to launch a killing spree against the women of New York City.   To catch the killer, Ellie must enter a high-tech world of stolen identities where no one is who they appear to be. And for her, the investigation quickly becomes personal: she fits the profile of the victims, and she knows firsthand what pursuing a sociopath can do to a cop--back home in Wichita, Kansas, her father lost his life trying to catch a notorious serial murderer.   When the First Date killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him, too. Both hunter and prey, she must find the killer before he claims his next victim--who could very well be her.   Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Dead Connection advances Alafair Burke to the front ranks of American thriller writers. less

“Angel’s Tip is a riveting read that snaps with the beat of New York….A knuckle-biting journey that’ll keep you turning pages until the very end.”—Faye Kellerman, bestselling author of the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus novels“Alafair Burke has created a winning heroine in Ellie Hatcher, someone to root for... more“Angel’s Tip is a riveting read that snaps with the beat of New York….A knuckle-biting journey that’ll keep you turning pages until the very end.”—Faye Kellerman, bestselling author of the Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus novels“Alafair Burke has created a winning heroine in Ellie Hatcher, someone to root for.”—Tami Hoag, bestselling author of Down the Darkest Road“Complex plotting, multi-layered characters, a creepy serial killer—in Angel’s Tip, Burke has once again proven herself a terrific storyteller.”—Sandra Brown, bestselling author of LethalAcclaimed thriller writer Alafair Burke delves into the underworld of the Manhattan nightclub scene in Angel’s Tip. Burke is the daughter of crime fiction superstar James Lee Burke, creator of Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux, prompting the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to proclaim that “this fast-paced-but-human thriller proves that writing talent is genetic.” A superb crime novel featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher (“a strong female protagonist in the tradition of Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski and Marcia Muller’s Sharon McCone” —Boston Globe), Angel’s Tip follows Ellie’s investigation into the murder of a young college student, quite possibly by a member of New York’s young moneyed elite, and fans of Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, Harlan Coben, and Sue Grafton will most definitely want to trail along. less

In New York City, Nights Are Dangerous. Days Are Numbered.When New York University sophomore Megan Gunther finds personal threats posted to a Web site specializing in campus gossip, she's taken aback by their menacing tone. Someone knows her daily routine down to the minute and is watching her--but thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet, the police tell her there's nothing they can do... moreIn New York City, Nights Are Dangerous. Days Are Numbered.When New York University sophomore Megan Gunther finds personal threats posted to a Web site specializing in campus gossip, she's taken aback by their menacing tone. Someone knows her daily routine down to the minute and is watching her--but thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet, the police tell her there's nothing they can do. Her friends are sure it's someone's idea of a joke, but when Megan is murdered in a vicious attack, NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced that the online threats are more than just empty words.With smooth, straight-talking partner J. J. Rogan at her side, Ellie tries to identify Megan's enemies, but she begins to wonder if the coed's murder was more than just the culmination of a cyber obsession. Phone records reveal a link between Megan and a murdered real estate agent who was living a dangerous double life. The detectives also learn that the dead real estate agent shared a secret connection to a celebrity mogul whose bodyguard was mysteriously killed a few months earlier. And when Megan's roommate suddenly disappears, they know they have to find her before another young woman dies.Exposing the darkness that lurks beneath the glamorous surface of New York City, 212 delivers yet another "knuckle-biting journey that'll keep you turning pages until the very end" (Faye Kellerman). less

Detective Ellie Hatcher will be forced to uncover the truth behind the apparent suicide of a teenaged girl with intriguing connections to both New York’s wealthiest—and its most dispossessed... moreDetective Ellie Hatcher will be forced to uncover the truth behind the apparent suicide of a teenaged girl with intriguing connections to both New York’s wealthiest—and its most dispossessed.This addictive thriller from acclaimed suspense writer Alafair Burke draws its details from the author’s own experiences as a criminal law professor and deputy district attorney, creating an exhilarating, true-to-life tale of crime and its consequences that is perfect for fans of Laura Lippman, Harlan Coben, and Burke’s breakout standalone thriller Long Gone. less

A murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads a young defense lawyer and an NYPD homicide detective into parallel investigations with explosive and deadly results in this superb mystery.The latest story dominating the tabloids - the murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick-couldn't be further from Carrie Blank's world handling federal appeals at an elite Manhattan law firm... moreA murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads a young defense lawyer and an NYPD homicide detective into parallel investigations with explosive and deadly results in this superb mystery.The latest story dominating the tabloids - the murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick-couldn't be further from Carrie Blank's world handling federal appeals at an elite Manhattan law firm. But then a hard-charging celebrity trial lawyer calls Carrie with an offer she can't refuse: Anthony Amaro, the serial killer police blamed for the murder of Carrie's older sister, Donna, has new evidence related to Brunswick's murder that he believes can exonerate him. Determined to force the government to catch Donna's real killer, Carrie takes on Amaro's wrongful conviction claim. On the other side of Amaro's case is NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, who, along with her partner, JJ Rogan, is tapped as the "fresh look" team to reassess the investigation that led to Amaro's conviction. The case is personal for them, too: Ellie wonders whether they got the assignment because of her relationship with the lead prosecutor, and Rogan has his own reasons to distrust Amaro's defense team. As the NYPD and Amaro's lawyers search for certainty among years of conflicting evidence, their investigations take them back to Carrie's hometown and secrets left behind there. And when Carrie falls victim to a brutal attack, it becomes clear that the young attorney got too close to the truth. less

The disappearance of a young woman leaves her closest friend reeling and an NYPD homicide detective digging into her own past in this thrilling mystery full of twists from the New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister and The Wife.Some pasts won’t stay forgotten . . . She calls herself Hope Miller, but she has no idea who she actually is. Fifteen years ago, she was found in a small New Jersey town thrown from an overturned vehicle, with no clue to her identity... moreThe disappearance of a young woman leaves her closest friend reeling and an NYPD homicide detective digging into her own past in this thrilling mystery full of twists from the New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister and The Wife.Some pasts won’t stay forgotten . . . She calls herself Hope Miller, but she has no idea who she actually is. Fifteen years ago, she was found in a small New Jersey town thrown from an overturned vehicle, with no clue to her identity. Doctors assumed her amnesia was a temporary side effect of her injuries, but she never regained her memory. Hope eventually started a new life with a new name in a new town that welcomed her, yet always wondered what she may have left behind—or been running from. Now, fifteen years later, she’s leaving New Jersey to start over once again.Manhattan defense lawyer Lindsay Kelly, Hope’s best friend and the one who found her after the accident, understands why Hope wants a new beginning. But she worries how her friend will fare in her new East Hampton home, far away from everything familiar. Lindsay’s worst fears are confirmed when she discovers Hope has vanished without a trace—the only lead a drop of blood found where she was last seen. Even more ominously, the blood matches a DNA sample with a connection to a notorious Kansas murderer.In pursuit of answers, the women search for the truth beneath long-buried secrets. And when their searches converge, what they find will upend everything they’ve ever known. less