The Stranger She Knew

"Durastanti casts the universal drama of the family as the sieve through which the self—woman, artist, daughter—is filtered and known." —Ocean Vuong A work of fiction about being a stranger in your own family and life. Every family has its own mythology, but in this family none of the myths match up. Claudia’s mother says she met her husband when she stopped him from jumping off a bridge. Her father says it happened when he saved her from an attempted robbery. Both parents are deaf but couldn’t be more different; they can’t even agree on how they met, much less who needed saving. Into this unlikely yet somehow inevitable union, our narrator is born. She comes of age with her brother in this strange, and increasingly estranged, household split between a small village in southern Italy and New York City. Without even sign language in common – their parents have not bothered to teach them – family communications are chaotic and rife with misinterpretations, by turns hilarious and devastating. An outsider in every way, she longs for a freedom she’s not even sure exists. Only books and punk rock—and a tumultuous relationship—begin to show her the way to create her own mythology, to construct her own version of the story of her life. Kinetic, formally dazzling, and spectacularly original, this book is a funny and profound portrait of an unconventional family that makes us look anew at how language shapes our understanding of ourselves.

Casey Woods and the Forensic Instincts team investigate a serial killer targeting young redheaded victims, each of whom has a unique connection to Casey.

Shortlisted for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2020 ‘A tense page-turning thriller...powerful’ The Times ‘A masterful feat of storytelling’ Tim Pears, author of The West Country trilogy

An unforgivable disappearance… Four years ago, Jennie Brooks and Sheriff Brae Colton were engaged to be married. Then Jennie disappeared without a word. Leads to a mysterious reunion… Brae hated Jennie for deserting him just as they were set to begin their life together. But when he finds her badly injured in a hit and run accident on a snowy mountain road, he can’t deny the love he’s never forgotten—until she regains consciousness with no memory of her identity, or what they once shared. Where love holds the key to everything… Brae wants to know why Jennie’s come home. Despite everything, she’s still the woman he fell in love with in high school—the woman he’s falling for again. But when the bullets start flying, his first priority is to protect her and catch her would-be killer. And if they can’t find a way to restore her memory soon, they may both end up dead.

Named a BEST BOOK by People Magazine, Boston Globe, BookBub, PopSugar, CrimeReads and more. “Brilliant…. A well-crafted psychological thriller.” —The New York Times Book Review When former journalist Rain Winter was twelve years old, she narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. The abductor was eventually found and sent to prison, but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice--and killed him in cold blood. Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, spending her days as a stay-at-home mom. But when another criminal who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case, forced to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go? Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes even good people are drawn to do evil things. Don't miss The New Couple in 5B, Lisa Unger's newest psychological thriller about a couple that inherits an apartment with a truly chilling past. Looking for more spine-tingling thrillers? Check out these other titles by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger: Under My Skin Confessions on the 7:45 Last Girl Ghosted Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six The New Couple in 5B (coming March 2024!)

From a New York Times–bestselling author, this “must-read for thriller-lovers,” features a killer working his way to his true prey, one victim at a time (Heather Graham, New York Times–bestselling author of Crimson Summer). It begins with a chilling phone call to Casey Woods. And ends with another girl dead. College-age girls with long red hair. Brutally murdered, they’re posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial killer now serving thirty years to life—a criminal brought to justice with the help of Forensic Instincts. Call. Kill. Repeat. But the similarities are more than one psychopath’s desire to outdo another. As more red-haired victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey—a connection that grows closer and closer to her. Now the Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of the killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey as the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make one thing clear: he knows everything about Casey. And Casey realizes that this psychopath won’t stop until he makes sure she’s dead. “Andrea Kane burst onto the thriller scene with the force of a wrecking ball. The Stranger You Know now establishes her as one of the very best.” —Michael Palmer, New York Times–bestselling author of Side Effects “A truly great story that will have everyone looking forward to even more Forensic Instincts books.” —Suspense Magazine “Takes the reader hostage until the last page.” —Rick Mofina, USA Today–bestselling author of If Angels Fall

Angela Nash is on track to being the youngest cheer captain at Falsetto High. That is until she is kidnapped by someone who can't possibly be a stranger. Yet, she doesn't know who he is. Her fate on the cheer team is on the line as Angie tries to escape the stranger she knew.

I have three deadly problems: 1. I’ve seriously offended a maniacal killer. 2. I just had a bullet removed from my brain. 3. My new daughter is growing up too fast--and she’s in the line of fire. Living on an obscure, technology-free island off California means safety from the murderer who hunts Kellen Adams and her new family.... Or does it? Family time becomes terror-time, and at last, alone, Kellen faces a killer playing a cruel game. Only one can survive, and Kellen knows who must win...and who must die. STRANGERS SHE KNOWS: The Grand Finale of Cape Charade Thrillers available now! Read the acclaimed Cape Charade series: #1 HARD TO KILL: A Cape Charade Short Suspense #2 DEAD GIRL RUNNING: A Cape Charade Full-length Thriller #3 FAMILIES AND OTHER ENEMIES: A Cape Charade Short Suspense #4 WHAT DOESN’T KILL ME: A Cape Charade Full-length Thriller #5. HIDDEN TRUTHS: A Cape Charade Short Suspense #6. STRANGERS SHE KNOWS: A Cape Charade Full-length Thriller Coming in Audio! The three Cape Charade short suspenses, HARD TO KILL, FAMILIES AND OTHER ENEMIES and HIDDEN TRUTHS, starring Kellen Adams.