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Like a sister / Kellye Garrett.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : Mulholland Books : Little, Brown and Company, 2022Copyright date: ©2022Edition: First editionDescription: 309 pages ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780316256704
  • 0316256706
Subject(s): Genre/Form: DDC classification:
  • 813/.6 23
Summary: In this "tense, twisting mystery" (Megan Miranda), no one bats an eye when a Black reality TV star is found dead--except her estranged half-sister, whose refusal to believe the official story leads her on a dangerous search for the truth. "I found out my sister was back in New York from Instagram. I found out she'd died from the New York Daily News." When the body of disgraced reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. It's a tragedy, certainly, but not a crime. But Desiree's half-sister Lena Scott knows that can't be the case. A graduate student at Columbia, Lena has spent the past decade forging her own path far from the spotlight, but some facts about Desiree just couldn't have changed since their childhood. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. So why is no one listening to her? Despite the bitter truth that the two haven't spoken in two years, torn apart by Desiree's partying and by their father, Mel, a wealthy and influential hip-hop mogul, Lena becomes determined to find justice for her sister, even if it means untangling her family's darkest secrets--or ending up dead herself.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Book Book Bedford Public Library Mystery Fiction F GAR Available 32500005524187
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In this "crackling domestic suspense" filled with "wry humor and deft pacing" (Alyssa Cole), no one bats an eye when a Black reality TV star is found dead--except her estranged half-sister, whose refusal to believe the official story leads her on a dangerous search for the truth.



Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel * Anthony Award winner for Best Hardcover Novel * Lefty Award winner for Best Mystery Novel * A Book of the Month Club Pick * An Oxygen Book Club Pick * A Today Show Spring Fiction Pick * A New York Post Best New Book of the Week * A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year * A South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery of the Year * A CrimeReads Best Psychological Thriller of the Year



"A mystery that has everything I love most: an intriguing set up; an absorbing storyline that kept me guessing; a satisfying ending; and, most of all, incredibly well-developed characters I kept thinking about long after I finished the book." ―Jasmine Guillory , Today Show



"I found out my sister was back in New York from Instagram. I found out she'd died from the New York Daily News ."



When the body of reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her twenty-fifth birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. A tragedy, certainly, but not a crime.



Yet Columbia grad student Lena--principled, headstrong, and allergic to the spotlight--knows that can't be the case. Despite the bitter truth that the two hadn't spoken in two years, they were half-sisters. Lena knew Desiree. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. Something is very wrong with the facts. So why is no one listening?



While the two sisters had been torn apart by Desiree's partying and by their difficult father, Lena becomes determined to find justice for Desiree. Even if that means untangling her family's darkest secrets--or ending up dead herself.



"A briskly plotted, socially astute thriller." ― Los Angeles Times



"Equal parts charm and heartbreak, with razor-sharp insights on class, race, and family." --Laura Lippman



"Dishes up the glitz of the haves and the struggles of the have-nots, infusing classic noir storytelling with Big Apple glamour--#pageturner." -- Oprah Daily



"A twisty murder mystery with nuance and heart." ― BookPage



"Noir for the media-struck generation...Original and witty." ―National Public Radio

In this "tense, twisting mystery" (Megan Miranda), no one bats an eye when a Black reality TV star is found dead--except her estranged half-sister, whose refusal to believe the official story leads her on a dangerous search for the truth. "I found out my sister was back in New York from Instagram. I found out she'd died from the New York Daily News." When the body of disgraced reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. It's a tragedy, certainly, but not a crime. But Desiree's half-sister Lena Scott knows that can't be the case. A graduate student at Columbia, Lena has spent the past decade forging her own path far from the spotlight, but some facts about Desiree just couldn't have changed since their childhood. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. So why is no one listening to her? Despite the bitter truth that the two haven't spoken in two years, torn apart by Desiree's partying and by their father, Mel, a wealthy and influential hip-hop mogul, Lena becomes determined to find justice for her sister, even if it means untangling her family's darkest secrets--or ending up dead herself.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Two years ago, Lena Scott walked away from her half-sister, unable to deal with Desiree's wild, drug-fueled lifestyle. Lena had already distanced herself from the high-profile, lavish world that her hip-hop mogul father reveled in, and chose to live with her aunt in the Bronx. When she learns that Desiree has been found dead in a Bronx playground, Lena is convinced her sister was coming to see her. The cops quickly conclude that Desiree died of an overdose, but Lena doesn't believe that. She looks to connect with her sister's friends, including Erin, whose photos and posts were plastered all over Desiree's social feeds. Erin offers herself as guide to the Instagram-ready world Desiree lived in--foreign territory for Lena. As she unravels the events of her sister's last night, Lena struggles with knowing whom to trust; a mistake could cost her everything. VERDICT In addition to creating a satisfying, twisty mystery and eloquently depicting the complexity of family relationships, Garrett ("Detective by Day" series) explores racial identity, privilege, and discrimination as an organic part of the novel, with a deft, often funny touch. Here's hoping to see more of Lena.--Julie Ciccarelli

Publishers Weekly Review

Agatha winner Garrett (the Detective by Day series) delves into the vagaries of families, fame, and wealth in this insightful, briskly plotted novel. Columbia graduate student Lena Scott, who's working on her master's in nonprofit management, has been estranged for years from her younger half-sister, Desiree Pierce, a former reality TV star turned Instagram darling. When Desiree's body is found in a Bronx playground the morning after her 25th birthday party, the authorities attribute her death to an overdose. Despite their differences, Lena, who knows Desiree was terrified of needles, begins her own investigation. In her search for answers, Lena gets back in touch with her famous hip-hop producer father (whose financial support she refused), forcing her to reevaluate her childhood and the choices she's made. Lena regrets having been alienated from Desiree and is jealous of the friends who became Desiree's substitute sisters. Garrett explores racism and sexism with aplomb, as shown by the sarcasm Lena displays when others underestimate her because she's a young Black woman. This talented author has upped her game with this one. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary. (Mar.)

Booklist Review

When Desiree Pierce, the Black socialite and reality-star daughter of rap mogul Murder Mel Pierce, dies in an apparent heroin overdose, her half-sister, Lena, fights grief with a mission to satisfy her raging suspicions. Lena has distanced herself from her inattentive father, Mel, but has always been tight with Desiree. At least, until two years ago, when Desiree refused to address the substance-abuse issues that caused a devastating accident. Now, Desiree has been found dead just blocks away from Lena's house, and Lena senses she was coming to her for help. Lena knows that Desiree's "it girl" bestie, Erin, is hiding something, but decides to keep her close and leverage her ability to open elite doors. Dodging reporters, ineffectual detectives, and Mel's private security, Lena uncovers motives among Mel's former business partner, Desiree's celebrity-DJ ex-boyfriend, and an old friend lost to reality-show politics. Lena's relatable conflicts and her crafty, tenacious investigation will easily draw fans. A strong mystery that benefits from the tension between Desiree's glamour and Lena's cynical practicality.

Kirkus Book Review

When her estranged ex--reality-star younger sister turns up shoeless and dead of an overdose on a Bronx playground, Lena Scott has to prove to herself--and everyone else--that it was not an accident. Lena may be just 28, but she's as hard-boiled as a millennial gets. A loner, she hasn't had a relationship with her hip-hop--mogul father since she was 4; her mother and grandmother both died five years ago; and she hasn't seen her best friend, who's burying herself in a master's program in nonprofit management at Columbia, in a year. A fan of friends with benefits, she's "never been big on relationships." She doesn't even do social media except to keep tabs on her sister, Desiree, another exile from her life after Desiree's DUI two years ago. Since the police have zero interest in pursuing what Lena knows are suspicious circumstances around Desiree's demise, she hits the streets, uptown and down, by foot and bike, mass transit, and Uber, tracking down leads with baby sister's friends, flings, and--uncomfortably for her--family. If the first 60 pages have a few too many implausibilities (ubiquitous dashing reporters) and bad similes ("her eyes were as dry as my sex life") and the last 60 devolve into eye-glazing digital forensics ("I was about to close Safari when I noticed the GoFundMe site") and a rushed, too-pat end, everything in between crackles. The writing is sharp, the commentary wry, and Lena is irresistible: "I'd never wanted to see a cop more in my twenty-eight years of being Black." Come for the not-so-bad whodunit, stay for the whip-smart, heart-hurt, very entertaining heroine. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Kellye Garrett is the author of Hollywood Homicide , which won the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Independent Publisher "IPPY" awards for best first novel and was named one of BookBub's Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time, as well as Hollywood Ending , which was nominated for both Anthony and Lefty awards. Prior to writing novels, Garrett spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case . She is a New Jersey native, a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color, and a former board member of Sisters in Crime.

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