You'll Never Know, Dear

Description

FINALIST FOR THE 2018 MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD An addictive novel of psychological suspense from the award-winning author of Night Night, Sleep Tight, about three generations of women haunted by a little girl's disappearance, and the porcelain doll that may hold the key to the truth . . . Seven-year-old Lissie Woodham and her four-year-old sister Janey were playing with their porcelain dolls in the front yard when an adorable puppy scampered by. Eager to pet the pretty dog, Lissie chased after the pup as it ran down the street. When she returned to the yard, Janey's precious doll was gone . . . and so was Janey. Forty years after Janey went missing, Lis-now a mother with a college-age daughter of her own-still blames herself for what happened. Every year on the anniversary of her sister's disappearance, their mother, Miss Sorrel, places a classified ad in the local paper with a picture of the toy Janey had with her that day-a one-of-a-kind porcelain doll-offering a generous cash reward for its return. For years, there's been no response. But this year, the doll came home. It is the first clue in a decades-old mystery that is about to turn into something far more sinister-endangering Lis and the lives of her mother and daughter as well. Someone knows the truth about what happened all those years ago, and is desperate to keep it hidden.

Hallie Ephron is the New York Times bestselling author of Never Tell a Lie, Come and Find Me, There Was an Old Woman, and Night Night, Sleep Tight. For twelve years she was the crime fiction reviewer for the Boston Globe. The daughter of Hollywood screenwriters, she grew up in Beverly Hills, and lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

"The story zigs and then zags, leading the reader to be convinced of someone's innocence, duplicity or guilt and then forced to re-evaluate...After reading "You'll Never Know, Dear," I tracked down 2015's "Night Night, Sleep Tight"....and plan to dive into her other books."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A poignant portrayal of how tragedies often have a trickle-down effect...Though Ephron's work is often classified as women's fiction, it should appeal to anybody who enjoys intelligent, stylistic suspense. After all, questions of family, fidelity, and forgiveness are universal."--CriminalElement.com Praise for Hallie Ephron: "Ephron's novels are gripping because her characters are just real and nuanced enough to identify with. Ultimately, it's compassion that makes us stay up late reading, and, nose in book, miss our subway stop the next morning." --Boston Globe "Would have been a great vehicle for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, including all the slightly creepy dolls."--Kirkus Reviews "I LOVED this book! Great characters, great sense of place, great suspense. And the doll-making background was fascinating."--Deborah Crombie, New York Times best selling author of Garden of Lamentations "Hallie Ephron is the queen of secrets--and the star of suburban noir."--Hank Phillippi Ryan, award-winning author of Say No More "Ephron understands that the fears we inflict upon ourselves can be more crippling than a man with a gun."--Mystery Scene "[A] character-driven page-turner...[an] engaging portrait of three generations of bickering, bull-headed, but loving women challenged to become their bravest and best selves."--Publishers Weekly "The story line in "You'll Never Know, Dear" unspools with a strong psychological component and a sense of real people involved in relatable situations....An accessible, easy read that deftly integrates the mystery genre with women's fiction, it's made compelling by the depth and resonance of the relationships."--Nickolas Butler, internationally bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs and The Hearts of Men "Strong characters and vivid sense of place."--Booklist