Ripper - by Isabel Allende (Paperback)

About the Book

"Though they are as different as night and day, Indiana and Amanda Jackson have always shared a strong, mother-daughter bond. Beautiful and free-spirited, Indiana is a holistic healer. Teenage Amanda is a natural sleuth fascinated by the dark side of human nature--like her father, the SFPD's deputy chief of homicide. She also loves playing Ripper, an online mystery game. When a serial killer strikes San Francisco, the young amateur detective plunges into her own investigation. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the murders? With Indiana's life on the line, Amanda must solve this perplexing mystery ... before it's too late."--

Book Synopsis

"Literary icon Isabel Allende mesmerizes . . . this race-against-the-clock thriller is pure magic."--People Magazine, Four Stars

NOW WITH A NEW DEAR READER LETTER

New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende demonstrates her remarkable literary versatility with this atmospheric, fast-paced mystery involving a brilliant teenage sleuth who matches wits with a serial killer in San Francisco.

Though they are as different as night and day, Indiana and Amanda Jackson have always shared a strong, mother-daughter bond. Beautiful and free-spirited, Indiana is a holistic healer. Teenage Amanda is a natural sleuth fascinated by the dark side of human nature like her father, the SFPD's deputy chief of homicide. She also loves playing Ripper, an online mystery game.

When a serial killer strikes San Francisco, the young amateur detective plunges into her own investigation. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the murders? With Indiana's life on the line, Amanda must solve this perplexing mystery . . . before it's too late.

Review Quotes

"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)

"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

"Allende's tightly plotted tale of crimes obvious and masked is sharply perceptive, utterly charming, and intensely suspenseful." - Booklist, starred review

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

"Thoroughly charming book. . . . A lot of fun to read." - New York Times Book 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

"Allende, always a captivating storyteller, takes the reader through a parade of San Francisco locales and types, and Amanda--like Maya--is an engaging character." - San Jose Mercury News

"[Allende's] facility with plotting and pacing will keep readers turning the pages." - Publishers Weekly

"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

"The novelist's charming first murder mystery features an irresistible teenage sleuth." - New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice

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