The second pulse-pounding thriller in Meg Gardiner's Jo Beckett series, whose "thrilling,"1 "crackerjack,"2 "adrenaline-filled"3 debut was an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller.

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett's specialty is the psychological autopsy- an investigation into a person's life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a head-shrinker: The silence of her "patients" is a key part of the job's attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person-one with a suspect memory who can't be trusted to participate in his own medical care-she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he's got anterograde amnesia, and can't form new memories. Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk and yet can't help Jo figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises, something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named "Slick," a missing wife and son, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient's addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city-and herself....

An ongoing string of high-profile and very public murder-suicides has San Francisco even more rattled than a string of recent earthquakes: A flamboyant fashion designer burns to death, clutching the body of his murdered lover. A superstar 49er jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge. And most shocking of all, a U.S. attorney launches her BMW off a highway overpass, killing herself and three others.

Enter forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett, hired by the SFPD to cut open not the victim’s body, but the victim’s life. Jo’s job is to complete the psychological autopsy, shedding light on the circumstances of any equivocal death. Soon she makes a shocking discovery: All the suicides belonged to something called the Dirty Secrets Club, a group of A-listers with nothing but money and plenty to hide. As the deaths continue, Jo delves into the disturbing motives behind this shadowy group - until she receives a letter that contains a dark secret Jo thought she’d left deep in her past, a secret that ends with the most chilling words of all: “Welcome to the Dirty Secrets Club.”

Praise for Meg Gardiner
“If you read Sue Grafton, Lee Child, Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly, or Nelson DeMille, you’re going to think Meg Gardiner is a gift from heaven.” - Stephen King

“A winner in every way. The Dirty Secrets Club is nuanced and layered - and a harrowing thriller. . . . Meg Gardiner makes every one of her characters leap alive off the page.” - Jeffery Deaver

“Meg Gardiner is an astonishing writer, and The Dirty Secrets Club is a humdinger of a thriller, with shocks and twists galore. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.” - Tess Gerritsen
...

School’s out—forever…class reunions can be a killer.

Something, or someone, is eliminating Evan Delaney’s graduating class. For Evan, China Lake was a tough place to grow up. But she didn’t realize just how tough until, returning to the desert military base for her high school reunion, she discovers that a disturbing number of her classmates have died young. And on the night of the reunion, another one is savagely butchered. She’s just the first. There’s a serial killer on the loose. One with a major axe to grind with China Lake’s high school graduates… Meg Gardiner was raised in California and graduated from Stanford Law School; she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught in the Writing Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara....

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett’s specialty is the psychological autopsy – an investigation into a person’s life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a headshrinker: The silence of her “patients” is a key part of the job’s attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person – one with a suspect memory who can’t be trusted to participate in his own medical care – she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he’s got anteretrograde amnesia, and can’t form new memories. As his thoughts drift away like tendrils of smoke, Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk yet can’t help her figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises – something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named “Slick,” missing people, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient’s addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city – and herself....

The second pulse-pounding thriller in Meg Gardiner's Jo Beckett series, whose "thrilling,"1 "crackerjack,"2 "adrenaline-filled"3 debut was an Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller.

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett's specialty is the psychological autopsy- an investigation into a person's life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a head-shrinker: The silence of her "patients" is a key part of the job's attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person-one with a suspect memory who can't be trusted to participate in his own medical care-she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he's got anterograde amnesia, and can't form new memories. Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk and yet can't help Jo figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises, something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named "Slick," a missing wife and son, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient's addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city-and herself....

While bicycling in the foothills of Santa Barbara, Jesse Blackburn and his friend Isaac are struck down by a hit-and-run driver. Isaac is killed, but Jesse survives. Now he wants revenge, and his fiancée, Evan Delaney, wants justice. Neither is simple. Evan and Jesse underestimate the power of the person with whom they’re dealing, and of the dark places where retribution will take them. As witnesses to the crime start dying one by one, it is apparent that no one can stop the killer – least of all Evan, who’s next on his list.

“A HARROWING (AND ALL TOO TIMELY) STORY of corporate greed and evildoing in quirky Southern California.” – Jeffery Deaver

“A RATTLING GOOD READ with an unexpected twist.” – The Sunday Telegraph...

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett’s specialty is the psychological autopsy – an investigation into a person’s life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a headshrinker: The silence of her “patients” is a key part of the job’s attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person – one with a suspect memory who can’t be trusted to participate in his own medical care – she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he’s got anteretrograde amnesia, and can’t form new memories. As his thoughts drift away like tendrils of smoke, Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk yet can’t help her figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises – something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named “Slick,” missing people, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient’s addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city – and herself....

With this breakout novel, the meg gardiner fan club is growing...

A string of high-profile murder-suicides has San Francisco more rattled than the string of recent earthquakes. Hired by the SFPD to shed light on the victims' lives, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett makes a shocking discovery: all the suicides belonged to a group of A-listers with lots of money and plenty to hide. And soon Jo finds herself trapped in a nightmare from her past when she gets invited to join the club......

“IT MAKES SILENCE OF THE LAMBS LOOK LIKE MARY HAD A LITTLE ONE – IT NEVER LETS UP.” – Adrienne Dines, Author of The Jigsaw Maker

Evan Delaney knew China Lake was a tough place to grow up. She never knew how tough until she returns to the desert military base for her high school reunion and learns that several of her classmates have died young. Then, on the first night of the reunion, another one dies – this one savagely butchered. And she’s just the first. Someone has an ax to grind. And Evan’s graduating class has something to fear.

“ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS I’VE READ THIS YEAR. MISS GARDINER HAS WRITTEN A CRACKER.” – Caroline Carver, CWA DaggerWinning Author of Blood Junction
“A TENSE AND EXCITING THRILLER WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING SEEMS POSSIBLE.” – Independent on Sunday...

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett’s specialty is the psychological autopsy – an investigation into a person’s life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a headshrinker: The silence of her “patients” is a key part of the job’s attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person – one with a suspect memory who can’t be trusted to participate in his own medical care – she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he’s got anteretrograde amnesia, and can’t form new memories. As his thoughts drift away like tendrils of smoke, Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk yet can’t help her figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises – something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named “Slick,” missing people, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient’s addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city – and herself....

When Evan Delaney’s father disappears, the cops think he’s fled the country to avoid prosecution. But Evan is sure that Phil has been abducted or killed for reasons associated with his work for Naval Intelligence.

As Evan hunts for clues, she is attacked by an armed man. The attacker ends up dead – and turns out to be a federal agent. Now Evan is on the run, implicated in his murder. Then she is contacted by a sinister duo – a Madam and gigolo mother-and-son-team who claim that Phil was mixed up in their very dirty business.

Can Evan save her father’s reputation – and his life? And can Jesse save Evan? Time is running out …...

An ongoing string of high-profile and very public murder-suicides has San Francisco even more rattled than a string of recent earthquakes: A flamboyant fashion designer burns to death, clutching the body of his murdered lover. A superstar 49er jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge. And most shocking of all, a U.S. attorney launches her BMW off a highway overpass, killing herself and three others.

Enter forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett, hired by the SFPD to cut open not the victim’s body, but the victim’s life. Jo’s job is to complete the psychological autopsy, shedding light on the circumstances of any equivocal death. Soon she makes a shocking discovery: All the suicides belonged to something called the Dirty Secrets Club, a group of A-listers with nothing but money and plenty to hide. As the deaths continue, Jo delves into the disturbing motives behind this shadowy group - until she receives a letter that contains a dark secret Jo thought she’d left deep in her past, a secret that ends with the most chilling words of all: “Welcome to the Dirty Secrets Club.”

Praise for Meg Gardiner
“If you read Sue Grafton, Lee Child, Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly, or Nelson DeMille, you’re going to think Meg Gardiner is a gift from heaven.” - Stephen King

“A winner in every way. The Dirty Secrets Club is nuanced and layered - and a harrowing thriller. . . . Meg Gardiner makes every one of her characters leap alive off the page.” - Jeffery Deaver

“Meg Gardiner is an astonishing writer, and The Dirty Secrets Club is a humdinger of a thriller, with shocks and twists galore. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.” - Tess Gerritsen
...

When Evan Delaney’s father disappears, the cops think he’s fled the country to avoid prosecution. But Evan is sure that Phil has been abducted or killed for reasons associated with his work for Naval Intelligence.

As Evan hunts for clues, she is attacked by an armed man. The attacker ends up dead – and turns out to be a federal agent. Now Evan is on the run, implicated in his murder. Then she is contacted by a sinister duo – a Madam and gigolo mother-and-son-team who claim that Phil was mixed up in their very dirty business.

Can Evan save her father’s reputation – and his life? And can Jesse save Evan? Time is running out …...

When Evan Delaney finds her father’s car at the bottom of a ravine, the police suspect suicide—but there’s no body. Evan’s suspicions of something sinister are confirmed when she receives a call from her father’s kidnappers. The ransom isn’t money, but more of a puzzle—one that Evan has only 72 hours to piece together, as she follows a madman’s trail into the very heart of darkness....

When the body of a young woman washes up on the black sands of the California beach Jericho Point, it’s identified as Evan Delaney’s. But Evan is very much alive – apparently the victim of an identity thief who was playing the Hollywood rich for everything they’re worth. The crook may be dead, but the crimes she was murdered for – crimes committed in Evan’s name – are turning Evan’s life into a nightmare. Now, in the shadow of a dead woman’s lies, it’s all Evan can do to survive.

“[A] GRIPPING PLOT...You’ll find it impossible to find a resting point.” – Evening Times (Glasgow)
“A RELENTLESS, CLAUSTROPHOBIC examination of mistaken identity and the terror of being accused of a crime for which you are not responsible.” – Sherlock
“FAST-PACED, WITTY, AND BRUTAL.” – The Independent (London)...

“IT MAKES SILENCE OF THE LAMBS LOOK LIKE MARY HAD A LITTLE ONE – IT NEVER LETS UP.” – Adrienne Dines, Author of The Jigsaw Maker

Evan Delaney knew China Lake was a tough place to grow up. She never knew how tough until she returns to the desert military base for her high school reunion and learns that several of her classmates have died young. Then, on the first night of the reunion, another one dies – this one savagely butchered. And she’s just the first. Someone has an ax to grind. And Evan’s graduating class has something to fear.

“ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS I’VE READ THIS YEAR. MISS GARDINER HAS WRITTEN A CRACKER.” – Caroline Carver, CWA DaggerWinning Author of Blood Junction
“A TENSE AND EXCITING THRILLER WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING SEEMS POSSIBLE.” – Independent on Sunday...

After a hit-and-run accident leaves a friend dead, Evan Delaney wants justice. But she underestimates the power of the person responsible. When the witnesses begin dying one by one, Evan is unprepared for the dark places retribution will take her....

“IT MAKES SILENCE OF THE LAMBS LOOK LIKE MARY HAD A LITTLE ONE – IT NEVER LETS UP.” – Adrienne Dines, Author of The Jigsaw Maker

Evan Delaney knew China Lake was a tough place to grow up. She never knew how tough until she returns to the desert military base for her high school reunion and learns that several of her classmates have died young. Then, on the first night of the reunion, another one dies – this one savagely butchered. And she’s just the first. Someone has an ax to grind. And Evan’s graduating class has something to fear.

“ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS I’VE READ THIS YEAR. MISS GARDINER HAS WRITTEN A CRACKER.” – Caroline Carver, CWA DaggerWinning Author of Blood Junction
“A TENSE AND EXCITING THRILLER WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING SEEMS POSSIBLE.” – Independent on Sunday...

With this breakout novel, the meg gardiner fan club is growing...

A string of high-profile murder-suicides has San Francisco more rattled than the string of recent earthquakes. Hired by the SFPD to shed light on the victims' lives, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett makes a shocking discovery: all the suicides belonged to a group of A-listers with lots of money and plenty to hide. And soon Jo finds herself trapped in a nightmare from her past when she gets invited to join the club......

When a woman’s body washes up on the shore of California’s Jericho Point, she’s identified as Evan Delaney. Except that Evan is very much alive—apparently the victim of an identity thief who’d been scamming Hollywood elite. The thief may be dead, but the crimes she was murdered for—committed in Evan’s name—are turning Evan’s life into a nightmare. Now it’s all Evan can do to survive in the shadow of a dead woman’s lies....

Finally available in the U.S.

Evan Delaney learns that not only has her ex- sister-in-law joined a religious cult, but the unstable young mother plans to regain custody of her son and disappear with him into the fold of the fanatical group. But when murder raises the stakes, Evan is dragged even deeper into the nightmare....

When Evan Delaney’s father disappears, the cops think he’s fled the country to avoid prosecution. But Evan is sure that Phil has been abducted or killed for reasons associated with his work for Naval Intelligence.

As Evan hunts for clues, she is attacked by an armed man. The attacker ends up dead – and turns out to be a federal agent. Now Evan is on the run, implicated in his murder. Then she is contacted by a sinister duo – a Madam and gigolo mother-and-son-team who claim that Phil was mixed up in their very dirty business.

Can Evan save her father’s reputation – and his life? And can Jesse save Evan? Time is running out …...

Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett’s specialty is the psychological autopsy – an investigation into a person’s life to determine whether a death was natural, accidental, suicide, or homicide. She calls herself a deadshrinker instead of a headshrinker: The silence of her “patients” is a key part of the job’s attraction. When Jo is asked to do a psychological autopsy on a living person – one with a suspect memory who can’t be trusted to participate in his own medical care – she knows all her skills will be put to the test.

Jo is called to the scene of an aircraft inbound from London to help deal with a passenger who is behaving erratically. She figures out that he’s got anteretrograde amnesia, and can’t form new memories. As his thoughts drift away like tendrils of smoke, Jo finds herself racing to save a patient who can walk and talk yet can’t help her figure out just what happened to him. For every cryptic clue he is able to drag up from his memory, Jo has to sift through a dozen nonsensical statements. Suddenly a string of clues arises – something to do with a superdeadly biological agent code-named “Slick,” missing people, and a secret partnership gone horribly wrong. Jo realizes her patient’s addled mind may hold the key to preventing something terrible from happening in her beloved San Francisco. In order to prevent it, she will have to get deeper into the life of a patient than she ever has before, hoping the truth emerges from the fog of his mind in time to save her city – and herself....

“IT MAKES SILENCE OF THE LAMBS LOOK LIKE MARY HAD A LITTLE ONE – IT NEVER LETS UP.” – Adrienne Dines, Author of The Jigsaw Maker

Evan Delaney knew China Lake was a tough place to grow up. She never knew how tough until she returns to the desert military base for her high school reunion and learns that several of her classmates have died young. Then, on the first night of the reunion, another one dies – this one savagely butchered. And she’s just the first. Someone has an ax to grind. And Evan’s graduating class has something to fear.

“ONE OF THE BEST THRILLERS I’VE READ THIS YEAR. MISS GARDINER HAS WRITTEN A CRACKER.” – Caroline Carver, CWA DaggerWinning Author of Blood Junction
“A TENSE AND EXCITING THRILLER WHERE ALMOST ANYTHING SEEMS POSSIBLE.” – Independent on Sunday...