Thrillers & Suspense
![Sara Blaedel - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0045AAEIE.jpg)
A Harmless Lie: A Novel
USA TODAY "5 Books Not To Miss" • NY POST "Required Reading"
"Sara Blaedel writes novels as twisty as spirals and electric with intelligence. A HARMLESS LIE is a labyrinth of a mystery, dense and dangerous. Come get lost in it." -A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Riveting...It's tailor-made for Karin Slaughter's readers." -Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
A woman is haunted by a heartwrenching decision she made as a teenager in this darkly atmospheric, deeply emotional thriller from #1 internationally bestselling global superstar Sara Blaedel.
Detective Louise Rick is on a beach in Thailand when the panicked call from her father comes through. Louise′s beloved brother, Mikkel, has attempted suicide. His wife, Trine, left him days earlier, walking out the door one day with no warning and leaving Mikkel devastated.
Louise rushes home to Osted, the small, insular Danish town where she grew up and where Mikkel still lives. But the more Louise learns about Trine-a devoted wife and the mother of two young children-and her state of mind in the days before she left Mikkel, the more Louise begins to wonder whether Trine really meant to leave him. Or whether something much darker may have taken place.
As the local police begin to suspect that Mikkel may have had a hand in Trine's disappearance, Louise struggles to clear his name but is forced to confront some hard truths: Small towns always hide secrets. The past always comes back to haunt you. And lies are never harmless.
''One of the best I've come across.'' -Michael Connelly
"An intense, atmospheric starting point for those who haven't yet discovered Denmark's favorite cop." -Booklist
"Sara Blaedel writes novels as twisty as spirals and electric with intelligence. A HARMLESS LIE is a labyrinth of a mystery, dense and dangerous. Come get lost in it." -A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Riveting...It's tailor-made for Karin Slaughter's readers." -Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
A woman is haunted by a heartwrenching decision she made as a teenager in this darkly atmospheric, deeply emotional thriller from #1 internationally bestselling global superstar Sara Blaedel.
Detective Louise Rick is on a beach in Thailand when the panicked call from her father comes through. Louise′s beloved brother, Mikkel, has attempted suicide. His wife, Trine, left him days earlier, walking out the door one day with no warning and leaving Mikkel devastated.
Louise rushes home to Osted, the small, insular Danish town where she grew up and where Mikkel still lives. But the more Louise learns about Trine-a devoted wife and the mother of two young children-and her state of mind in the days before she left Mikkel, the more Louise begins to wonder whether Trine really meant to leave him. Or whether something much darker may have taken place.
As the local police begin to suspect that Mikkel may have had a hand in Trine's disappearance, Louise struggles to clear his name but is forced to confront some hard truths: Small towns always hide secrets. The past always comes back to haunt you. And lies are never harmless.
''One of the best I've come across.'' -Michael Connelly
"An intense, atmospheric starting point for those who haven't yet discovered Denmark's favorite cop." -Booklist
Editorial Reviews
PRAISE FOR SARA BLAEDEL AND THE LOUISE RICK SERIES
"Sara Blædel is at the top of her game. Louise Rick is a character who will have readers coming back for more." -Camilla Läckberg
''One of the best I've come across.'' -Michael Connelly
"Sara Blaedel is a force to be reckoned with. She's a remarkable crime writer who time and again delivers a solid, engaging storythat any reader in the world can enjoy." -Karin Slaughter
"Louise Rick is my favorite kind of female lead, tough but tender, and Blaedel knows how to keep you turning the pages." -Lisa Unger
"Crime-writer superstar Sara Blaedel's great skill is in weaving a heartbreaking social history into an edge-of-your-chair thriller while at the same time creating a detective who's as emotionally rich and real as a close friend." -Oprah.com
Praise for A HARMLESS LIE
NEW YORK POST "Required Reading"
USA TODAY "5 Books Not To Miss"
"Sara Blaedel writes novels as twisty as spirals and electric with intelligence. Her sophisticated mysteries hum with warmth and life, and double as inquiries into social and justice systems rigged against those who, heartbreakingly, need them most. Her detective, Louise Rick, is one of the most appealing, most layered, and most compelling heroes to stride onto a crime scene in at least fifty years. And in A HARMLESS LIE– an ideal point of entry for new readers – Blaedel has devised a labyrinth of a mystery for her, dense and dangerous. Come get lost in it."-A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Five years after her last book in the series, Blaedel returns with a riveting story that combines a journalist's investigation of a cold case with the police search for a missing woman. It's tailor-made for Karin Slaughter's readers."-Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
"Blaedel does a good job depicting abnormal psyches and, through harrowing flashbacks, the cliquish cruelty of adolescent girls. Scandinoir fans will be satisfied."-Publishers Weekly
"Another spellbinding thrill-ride. Full of mystery and intrigue you're hooked right from the very beginning…" - Red Carpet Crash
"Despite having not read the first 8 volumes of the Detective Louise Rick series by Sara Blaedel, it immediately immersed me in the story of Louise Rick. A Harmless Lie is written with the intention of Blaedel not assuming that everyone has read the entire series. I did not feel I was missing anything, but had the urge to go back and read the first eight books, as this book was that good."-Mystery & Susp...
"Sara Blædel is at the top of her game. Louise Rick is a character who will have readers coming back for more." -Camilla Läckberg
''One of the best I've come across.'' -Michael Connelly
"Sara Blaedel is a force to be reckoned with. She's a remarkable crime writer who time and again delivers a solid, engaging storythat any reader in the world can enjoy." -Karin Slaughter
"Louise Rick is my favorite kind of female lead, tough but tender, and Blaedel knows how to keep you turning the pages." -Lisa Unger
"Crime-writer superstar Sara Blaedel's great skill is in weaving a heartbreaking social history into an edge-of-your-chair thriller while at the same time creating a detective who's as emotionally rich and real as a close friend." -Oprah.com
Praise for A HARMLESS LIE
NEW YORK POST "Required Reading"
USA TODAY "5 Books Not To Miss"
"Sara Blaedel writes novels as twisty as spirals and electric with intelligence. Her sophisticated mysteries hum with warmth and life, and double as inquiries into social and justice systems rigged against those who, heartbreakingly, need them most. Her detective, Louise Rick, is one of the most appealing, most layered, and most compelling heroes to stride onto a crime scene in at least fifty years. And in A HARMLESS LIE– an ideal point of entry for new readers – Blaedel has devised a labyrinth of a mystery for her, dense and dangerous. Come get lost in it."-A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
"Five years after her last book in the series, Blaedel returns with a riveting story that combines a journalist's investigation of a cold case with the police search for a missing woman. It's tailor-made for Karin Slaughter's readers."-Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
"Blaedel does a good job depicting abnormal psyches and, through harrowing flashbacks, the cliquish cruelty of adolescent girls. Scandinoir fans will be satisfied."-Publishers Weekly
"Another spellbinding thrill-ride. Full of mystery and intrigue you're hooked right from the very beginning…" - Red Carpet Crash
"Despite having not read the first 8 volumes of the Detective Louise Rick series by Sara Blaedel, it immediately immersed me in the story of Louise Rick. A Harmless Lie is written with the intention of Blaedel not assuming that everyone has read the entire series. I did not feel I was missing anything, but had the urge to go back and read the first eight books, as this book was that good."-Mystery & Susp...
Readers Top Reviews
Short Excerpt Teaser
One
"Louise Rick, Louise Rick!"
He pronounced her name "Lois Wreck."
The evening sun cast a deep golden glow over the ocean that stretched out before her, deep blue as far as the eye could see. She'd been sitting on the beach all day-and it had been an insanely hot one-and was still sitting there, unable to muster the enthusiasm to move.
She ignored him. She felt heavy, slow, and sluggish from the emptiness inside her.
"Emergency!" he yelled. "It's about your family. Please come to the phone!"
He approached where she was sitting at the water's edge, leaving a trail of footprints behind him in the wet sand. He was wheezing, out of breath. As his words finally sank in, she turned and stared at him in alarm. "What is it? What's going on?"
He held his hand out to help her up off the small towel she'd brought along from the hotel room.
"Please come," he repeated, his voice shrill now. He turned and began running back across the street to the hotel, darting past the food stands that had been set up between the parked cars. The scooters that zipped down the street in front of the hotel day and night were making their usual racket, but Louise didn't hear them as she followed the man through a small opening in the palm trees.
Thailand hadn't been her choice, but the family had made a deal when she'd taken six months' leave from the police department. Louise was between jobs; she'd just left the Missing Persons Department to take on a new role as the head of the Homicide Department. But before beginning her new job, she'd wanted to spend some time traveling, and the family had come to an agreement that each of the four members would be allowed to pick out one place they wanted to see. They'd started in Mexico, which her foster son, Jonas, had chosen. After exploring Mayan ruins, they had journeyed on to South America, Africa, and India. They'd been on the road for four months so far. A small double family: Louise and Jonas, her partner, Eik, and his daughter, Stephanie. All that was in the past, though. Now she was still in Thailand, but alone.
In the reception area, the man led Louise to a desk behind the counter, where the telephone was waiting for her. Her own phone was in her room. Shut off.
"International call," he said, pointing at the receiver.
Louise froze. Lately, she'd been doing everything she could to shut out reality and now this call was about to confront her with it.
She sank down on the chair by the table, and the man put the receiver into her hand. She raised it to her ear and spoke in a hush.
"Hello."
"It's Mikkel." She barely recognized her father's voice. "He tried to commit suicide. He's in the hospital in Roskilde; we're here with him."
He paused for a moment and took a deep, trembling breath. "They don't know if he'll survive. I think you should come home."
Mikkel. Her brother was two and a half years younger than her. They were close, though not as close as they would have been if Louise had stayed in Mid Sealand instead of running off to Copenhagen after her boyfriend Klaus had died. But Louise had been desperate to get away at the time-KlausÕs death had traumatized her so much that she hadnÕt even been able to attend his funeral. Still, she and Mikkel kept in close touch, and she was godmother to both of his children. ÒThe Terrorists,Ó as her mother had called her grandchildren when they were toddlers. Now they were four and six, and not quite as wild. At least Kirstine wasnÕt. Malte was still a handful, but Louise had a soft spot for her nephew, even though a houseful of screaming kids wasnÕt exactly her cup of tea.
"I'll come."
She had trouble letting go of the receiver once they'd said goodbye. Her Mikkel, who had gone to Klaus's funeral and placed a red rose on his coffin for her. The brother whose world had collapsed when his wife left him with two small children and a house in Osted, with bills he couldn't pay. He'd taken on extra work as a deliveryman and had driven all over the country, in the little time he had left over from his job selling spare parts for Volvo in Roskilde.
That had gone on for almost a year, until Trine had finally come back to him. And since then he'd seemed genuinely happy. Louise had often thought that Trine's year away might actually have been good for them because they now seemed closer than ever. There was an air of peace about them, a new sense of comfortableness in their relationship. Louise hadn't cared muc...
"Louise Rick, Louise Rick!"
He pronounced her name "Lois Wreck."
The evening sun cast a deep golden glow over the ocean that stretched out before her, deep blue as far as the eye could see. She'd been sitting on the beach all day-and it had been an insanely hot one-and was still sitting there, unable to muster the enthusiasm to move.
She ignored him. She felt heavy, slow, and sluggish from the emptiness inside her.
"Emergency!" he yelled. "It's about your family. Please come to the phone!"
He approached where she was sitting at the water's edge, leaving a trail of footprints behind him in the wet sand. He was wheezing, out of breath. As his words finally sank in, she turned and stared at him in alarm. "What is it? What's going on?"
He held his hand out to help her up off the small towel she'd brought along from the hotel room.
"Please come," he repeated, his voice shrill now. He turned and began running back across the street to the hotel, darting past the food stands that had been set up between the parked cars. The scooters that zipped down the street in front of the hotel day and night were making their usual racket, but Louise didn't hear them as she followed the man through a small opening in the palm trees.
Thailand hadn't been her choice, but the family had made a deal when she'd taken six months' leave from the police department. Louise was between jobs; she'd just left the Missing Persons Department to take on a new role as the head of the Homicide Department. But before beginning her new job, she'd wanted to spend some time traveling, and the family had come to an agreement that each of the four members would be allowed to pick out one place they wanted to see. They'd started in Mexico, which her foster son, Jonas, had chosen. After exploring Mayan ruins, they had journeyed on to South America, Africa, and India. They'd been on the road for four months so far. A small double family: Louise and Jonas, her partner, Eik, and his daughter, Stephanie. All that was in the past, though. Now she was still in Thailand, but alone.
In the reception area, the man led Louise to a desk behind the counter, where the telephone was waiting for her. Her own phone was in her room. Shut off.
"International call," he said, pointing at the receiver.
Louise froze. Lately, she'd been doing everything she could to shut out reality and now this call was about to confront her with it.
She sank down on the chair by the table, and the man put the receiver into her hand. She raised it to her ear and spoke in a hush.
"Hello."
"It's Mikkel." She barely recognized her father's voice. "He tried to commit suicide. He's in the hospital in Roskilde; we're here with him."
He paused for a moment and took a deep, trembling breath. "They don't know if he'll survive. I think you should come home."
Mikkel. Her brother was two and a half years younger than her. They were close, though not as close as they would have been if Louise had stayed in Mid Sealand instead of running off to Copenhagen after her boyfriend Klaus had died. But Louise had been desperate to get away at the time-KlausÕs death had traumatized her so much that she hadnÕt even been able to attend his funeral. Still, she and Mikkel kept in close touch, and she was godmother to both of his children. ÒThe Terrorists,Ó as her mother had called her grandchildren when they were toddlers. Now they were four and six, and not quite as wild. At least Kirstine wasnÕt. Malte was still a handful, but Louise had a soft spot for her nephew, even though a houseful of screaming kids wasnÕt exactly her cup of tea.
"I'll come."
She had trouble letting go of the receiver once they'd said goodbye. Her Mikkel, who had gone to Klaus's funeral and placed a red rose on his coffin for her. The brother whose world had collapsed when his wife left him with two small children and a house in Osted, with bills he couldn't pay. He'd taken on extra work as a deliveryman and had driven all over the country, in the little time he had left over from his job selling spare parts for Volvo in Roskilde.
That had gone on for almost a year, until Trine had finally come back to him. And since then he'd seemed genuinely happy. Louise had often thought that Trine's year away might actually have been good for them because they now seemed closer than ever. There was an air of peace about them, a new sense of comfortableness in their relationship. Louise hadn't cared muc...
