Takes One to Know One - by Susan Isaacs (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this whip-smart suburban mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Isaacs, a retired FBI agent turned Long Island housewife taps into her investigative past when she begins to suspect that her neighbor is harboring criminal secrets.

Just a few years ago, Corie Geller was busting terrorists as an agent for the FBI. But at thirty-five, she traded in her badge for the stability of marriage and motherhood. Now Corie is married to the brilliant and remarkably handsome Judge Josh Geller and is the adoptive mother of his lovely 14-year-old daughter. Between cooking meals and playing chauffeur, Corie scouts Arabic fiction for a few literary agencies and, on Wednesdays, has lunch with her fellow Shorehaven freelancers at a so-so French restaurant. Life is, as they say, fine.

But at her weekly lunches, Corie senses that something's off. Pete Delaney, a milquetoast package designer, always shows up early, sits in the same spot (often with a different phone in hand), and keeps one eye on the Jeep he parks in the lot across the street. Corie intuitively feels that Pete is hiding something--and as someone who is accustomed to keeping her FBI past from her new neighbors, she should know. But does Pete really have a shady alternate life, or is Corie just imagining things, desperate to add some spark to her humdrum suburban existence? She decides that the only way to find out is to dust off her FBI toolkit and take a deep dive into Pete Delaney's affairs.

Always sassy, smart, and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs is at her formidable best in a novel that is both bitingly wry and ominously thrilling.

Review Quotes

"[Isaacs] has us chasing Corie all over the map, charmed by this motormouth sleuth's snappy wit and awed by her courage."--New York Times Book Review

"Ms. Isaacs is a witty author, but comedy gives way to terror as Corie's inevitable confrontation with her dangerous quarry nears. All the foreshadowing and presaging pays off in spades, and the scenes that tie up loose ends are a pleasure to read."--Wall Street Journal

"What is it that makes Susan Isaacs' books so delicious to read? She's funny, for starters. And that humor combined with romance and old-fashioned murder mystery tickles every feel-good bone in our bodies. Her characters are whole and flawed and lovable, and you want only the best for them, even as you ardently wish to find them in danger -- repeatedly -- along the way."--Newsday

"There are so many layers -- and thrilling twists and turns -- that you won't want to put it down."--InTouch

"The inimitable Susan Isaacs, master of sardonically witty observation and genre-bending suspense, is back with Takes One to Know One, her first standalone novel since 2012. . . . With shades of Agatha Christie and "Law & Order," blended with the high drama of a conventional suspense thriller and a generous portion of Isaacs' signature wry and brainy observational humor, Takes One to Know One will be catnip to longtime Isaacs fans and new readers alike."--BookPage

"Isaacs has written numerous best-sellers, beginning with her debut, Compromising Positions, but this is her first full-length novel since 2012's Goldberg Variations, and it's a good one. ...Turns out, [ex-FBI agent turned suburbanite] Corie's still got it, but it leads her straight into a deadly trap. Corie's combat skills and investigative prowess are still up to snuff, but her snarky commentary and hilarious interactions with her father are the real page-turners here."--Booklist

"[A] stylish beach read...[with] vibrant characters, snappy dialogue, and an arresting first-person narrative."--Publishers Weekly

"When a new Susan Isaacs novel comes out, her fans take notice...As the suspense builds and builds, we can't put the book down. As in all of Isaacs' work, we truly like the protagonist and are happy to go along on this adventure with her step by step. Read this combination character study/action novel slowly. Get to know Corie, because Isaacs' website informs us that Takes One To Know One is the beginning of a series. Rest assured that all of us will want to read more of Corie Geller's excellent adventures."--Bookreporter.com

"Isaacs' writing is clever and funny, with laugh-out-loud moments and strong character development. ...Highly recommended for anyone who likes fast-paced storytelling, quirky and interesting characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing right along with the protagonist."--New York Journal of Books

"Isaacs's latest suburban novel starts out as a low-key story of a wife looking for a diversionary project for herself and her father, a retired cop, then escalates into action requiring all of her skills as a trained FBI agent. For fans of Kate White and the movie True Lies."--Library Journal

Praise for Susan Isaacs:

"Nobody does smart, gutsy, funny, sexy women better than Susan Isaacs." --Washington Post

"I can think of no other novelist--popular or highbrow--who consistently celebrates female gutsiness, brains and sexuality. She's Jane Austen with a schmear." --NPR's Fresh Air

"[Susan Isaacs is] a witty, wry observer of contemporary life." --New York Times Book Review

"The women who inhabit Isaacs' books are smart, sexy, a little snarky, and filled with some serious chutzpah."--Rachel Martin NPR's "Weekend Edition"

"A master of the genre."--O, the Oprah Magazine

"Issacs is a master of witty fiction with an undercurrent of emotional truth."--USA Today

"Always sassy, smart and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs' novel is both hilariously funny and a moving tale of family, faith and reconciliation."--Book of the Month Club

[A]smart-alecky whodunit/surprisingly sweet love story...Isaacs brings it all together in this fast and furious ride through wanton greed, fragile relationships, and love worth fighting for." --Publishers Weekly (starred review), on As Husbands Go

"Isaacs does it again: skewering the pretensions of upscale suburbanites and in a tender, funny romance."--Kirkus (starred review), on Long Time No See

"Isaacs delivers witty, wicked satire from begining to end." --Entertainment Weekly

"I love [Susan Isaacs]...I don't think she's ever written a heroine I wouldn't want to be friends with. And I think she's really brilliant in a Jane Austen way about social strata and place. She nails all the details."--Jennifer Weiner, Miami Herald

"Biting and funny."--New York Daily News

About the Author