Never Tell: A Novel of Suspense (Ellie Hatcher Book 4)
Never Tell: A Novel of Suspense (Ellie Hatcher Book 4) book cover

Never Tell: A Novel of Suspense (Ellie Hatcher Book 4)

Kindle Edition

Price
$12.49
Publisher
Harper
Publication Date

Description

“[Burke] has delivered another winner….Two seemingly different storylines converge in a shocking way, demonstrating Burke’s remarkable abilities as a writer….Hatcher is a complex character, and her journey both personally and professionally will have even the most jaded suspense aficionado rapidly turning the pages.” -- Jeff Ayers , Associated Press “Burke has a good eye for the many faces of New York….Burke’s story is complex, but her pace is fast, her prose is crisp and her duplicitous characters ring true in the Darwinian world she creates.” -- Patrick Anderson , Washington Post “Burke’s last book was a stand-alone, but in Never Tell she’s returned to the character her readers know best, the fierce and gutsy NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher - now investigating the apparent suicide of a privileged Manhattan teen.” -- Entertainment Weekly “The meticulous plotting, coupled with Ellie’s complicated evolution as a heroine, make this Burke’s strongest work to date.” -- Publishers Weekly , starred review“Once in a while, a book comes along and makes you sit up and notice. A supremely intelligent novel, masterfully created with a telling hand and unique voice, Never Tell is one of those books. Crime writing doesn’t get much better than this.” -- New York Journal of Books “ Never Tell is perhaps Burke’s most ambitious and complex novel to date, yet it’s also her most readable….will leave the reader thinking about this book long after the last page as been turned.” -- Joe Hartlaub , Bookreporter.com “One of Burke’s trademarks is connecting disparate plotlines, which she does here in spades….Skillfully structured…” -- Michele Leber , Booklist “What initially appears to be a simple story quickly becomes more intricate and compelling, making the pages fly. Highly recommended, especially for Lisa Gardner or Laura Lippman fans.” -- Stacy Alesi , Library Journal “In Ellie, Burke has built a likable, flawed heroine….her plotting rarely disappoints. A smooth, compelling read that is proof positive that Burke continues to mature as a writer; this entry in the Ellie Hatcher series sings.” -- Kirkus Reviews “Author Alafair Burke takes her mystery fans on another wild ride in Never Tell .” -- The Sun Newspaper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan town house, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school. When she is found dead in her bathtub, a handwritten suicide note left on her bed, her parents insist that their daughter would never take her own life. But Julia's enviable world was more complicated than it seemed. The pressure to excel at Casden was enormous. Abuse of prescription antidepressants and ADHD medication ran rampant among students; an unlabeled bottle of pills in Julia's purse suggests she had succumbed to the trend. And a search of Julia's computer reveals that in the days leading up to her death she was engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying against an unlikely victim. NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but she knows from personal experience that a loving family can be the last to accept the truth. When the Whitmires use their power to force a criminal investigation, Ellie's resistance causes trouble for her both at work and in her personal life. As she is pressured to pursue a case she doesn't believe in, she is pulled into Julia's inner circle—an eclectic mix of overly precocious teenagers from Manhattan's most privileged families as well as street kids from Greenwich Village. But when the target of Julia's harassment continues to receive death threats, Ellie is forced to acknowledge that Julia may have learned the hard way that some secrets should never be told. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Alafair Burke is a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent novels include The Wife and The Ex , which was nominated for the Edgar Award for best novel. She also co-authors the bestselling Under Suspicion series with Mary Higgins Clark. A former prosecutor, she now teaches criminal law and lives in Manhattan and East Hampton. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From the Inside Flap Even a perfect family has its secrets. Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have every-thing: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan town house, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school. When she is found dead in her bathtub, her parents insist that their daughter would never take her own life. But Julia's enviable world was more complicated than it seemed. The pressure to excel at Casden was enormous; abuse of prescription drugs ran rampant. And a search of Julia's computer reveals that she was engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying. NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but when the Whitmires use their power to force a criminal investigation, Ellie's resistance causes trouble for her both at work and in her personal life. And when the target of Julia's harassment continues to receive death threats, Ellie is forced to acknowledge that Julia may have learned the hard way that some secrets should never be told. -- New York Journal of Books --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • This addictive thriller from
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author 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.
  • Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan townhouse, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school.  When she is found dead in her bathtub, a handwritten suicide note left on her bed, her parents insists that their daughter would never take her own life.
  • Detective Ellie Hatcher is ready to write it off as a suicide, but one piece of evidence nags at her. When Ellie’s search of Julia’s bedroom and belongings for a matching notebook turns up empty, she's sure there's more to the case than meets the eye.
  • The ensuing investigation brings the partners inside Julia’s inner circle—an eclectic mix of precocious teenagers at Mahattan’s most elite prep schools and street kids Julia met at Washington Square Park; and Ellie is forced to uncover the truth behind this apparent suicide, navigating Julia's intriguing connections to both New York’s wealthiest—and its most dispossessed.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(587)
★★★★
25%
(489)
★★★
15%
(293)
★★
7%
(137)
23%
(449)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Improving!

Perhaps I read this expecting more than I received. Only having read one other earlier work, which I did not like, I tried to give time and experience to the author with this one. It was slow getting started. Not that there wasn't intrigue, it just was not an attention grabber! It wasn't until the last third of the work that I felt I wanted to know what the outcome would be. She is a good writer and I think her works will improve. Accepting that not all of us like the same thing, I would recommend that we encourage her by reading her work. Under tutorage by JLB who in my opinion is the Master of current literature, she will find a stronger voice as she continues to mature and finds the common threads which bind mankind together. It is flickering there already!
6 people found this helpful
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Far less than riveting

I thought I Would read this since she is the daughter of James Lee Burke. I was very disappointed. The story was told with her idea of how cops work. I fell asleep many times reading this book but I still tried to finish. Poor knowledge of subject matter; slow agonizingly boring and a blah ending. Just my opinion......
4 people found this helpful
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A bit disjointed

I liked the book, but.... My issue with it is while the story progressed as expected, I felt that the author wrote pieces of the main storyline, then had to go back and insert some "back history" to get to the story the author was trying to tell. With the obvious back insertions, I did not feel the cohesiveness of the story. When I got to the last quarter, I was still trying to figure out why this extra character suddenly became the focal point of the entire story. The explanations provided worked, but they worked only if you were willing to accept how and why.
3 people found this helpful
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Never Tell

There is way too much vulgar language in this book. I will not be finishing this book. I will not read this author again. Thank you
2 people found this helpful
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Great author

I have just recently discovered this author and enjoy all of her books. Keep offering her books to download. Keep up with her newest publications, please.
2 people found this helpful
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A very good story

First time reading one of her novels and I must say it was very good. Had a good plot, good characters, nice pace. Once I got into it, it was hard to put down.
2 people found this helpful
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Exciting and Surprising.

Great character development. This story has so many twists and turns that it's easy to get lost in it. I couldn't put it down.Excellent read.
2 people found this helpful
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She has done it again

Another engrossing book that takes your mind and emotions on a thrilling rollercoaster ride to a totally satisfying conclusion.
Another terrific read by a talented author.
2 people found this helpful
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Superb!

Well done!! Very well done!!! There were so many twists and turns, I never did see all of them coming.
This was the first Ellie Hatcher novel I've read; I'd looked up an author interview, and Alafair Burke was right: you can read any of the novels as a stand-alone! I might just, however, go back and read from the beginning ~ I doubt I'll be disappointed..... ;-)
1 people found this helpful
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I am always reluctant to try the books of the progeny of authors I really love -- it would have been a mistake to pass ...

Alafair Burke lives up to her last name!! I am always reluctant to try the books of the progeny of authors I really love -- it would have been a mistake to pass her by. And I not longer will think of her only in terms of her family. She wrote a well - crafted story and made me care about her characters - that's the highest compliment I can give.
1 people found this helpful