Ripper - Large Print by Isabel Allende (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Isabel Allende--the New York Times bestselling author whose books, including Maya's Notebook, Island Beneath the Sea, and Zorro, have sold more than 57 million copies around the world--demonstrates her remarkable literary versatility with Ripper, an atmospheric, fast-paced mystery involving a brilliant teenage sleuth who must unmask a serial killer in San Francisco.

The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, have always had each other. Yet, while their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Long divorced from Amanda's father, she's reluctant to settle down with either of the men who want her--Alan, the wealthy scion of one of San Francisco's elite families, and Ryan, an enigmatic, scarred former Navy SEAL.

While her mom looks for the good in people, Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD's Deputy Chief of Homicide. Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced before it's too late.

From the Back Cover

Indiana and Amanda Jackson have always had each other. Though their bond is strong, mother and daughter are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian. Teenage Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature--as is her father, the SFPD's deputy chief of homicide. Brilliant and introverted, Amanda is a natural-born sleuth addicted to Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, probing hints and deductions that elude the police department. But the case becomes all too -personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. Could her mother's disappearance have something to do with the series of deaths? Now, with her mother's life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she's ever faced 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