New Releases by Faye Kellerman

A collection of 14 crime and mystery stories—plus 4 bonus tales—by the New York Times bestselling "master of mystery" ( Cleveland Plain Dealer ). In The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights, Faye Kellerman returns to her fan-favorite characters, Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, in three never-before-published stories—including "The Garden of Eden," in which Peter and Rina investigate the death of a neighbor. The volume also contains two other Decker-Lazarus short mysteries: "Bull''s Eye," introducing Cindy Decker, who works with her father to find the killer of a police academy instructor; and "A Woman of Mystery," in which Rina and Peter solve the mystery of a student with amnesia. The nine remaining tales are classic Kellerman, and include "Mummy and Jack," cowritten with her son, Jesse. With two bonus stories and two personal essays, this book is a must-have for all Kellerman fans and crime fiction enthusiasts alike.

The New York Times-bestselling "master of mystery" delivers a riveting novel set in 1920s Munich, a city stalked by a nameless, barbaric butcher ( Cleveland Plain Dealer). Lustmord—the joy of murder. The terrifying concept seems apt for the brutal slaying of a beautiful young society wife dumped in the vast English Garden. Homicide inspector Axel Berg is horrified by the crime . . . and disturbed by the artful arrangement of the victim''s clothes and hair—a madman''s portrait of death. Berg''s superiors demand quick answers and a quick arrest: a vagrant, the woman''s husband, anyone who can be demonized will do. When a second body is discovered, the city erupts into panic, the unrest fomented by the wild-eyed, hate-mongering Austrian Adolf Hitler and his Brownshirt party of young thugs. Berg can trust no one as he relentlessly hunts a ruthless killer, dodging faceless enemies and back-alley intrigue, struggling to bring a fiend to justice before the country—and his life—veer straight into darkness. "[An] ambitious historical mystery, in which politics, prejudice, and revenge form the backdrop for murder . . . As for Berg, he is one of Kellerman''s richest creations—an intriguing protagonist, flawed yet compassionate and heroic, forced to confront enormous odds in brutal times." — Booklist

The royal physician''s daughter leads a dangerous double life with a young William Shakespeare in this "tour de force" historical thriller ( Publishers Weekly). Rebecca Lopez enjoys a life of privilege in Elizabeth''s England, yet she guards secrets that would be anyone''s undoing. The beautiful, tempestuous daughter of the queen''s own physician, Rebecca is also a converso -- a Jew who practices her banned religion clandestinely. And to court danger further, she helps others of her faith escape persecution and death. Rebecca''s risky endeavors often take her to the bustling streets of London disguised in male garb. But one such outing is leading her into a dangerous viper''s nest built of intrigue and foul murder. Accompanying her every step of the way is a dashing young actor who inflames her romantic passions—a charming and fearless would-be playwright who calls himself Will Shakespeare.

The USA Today–bestselling author details how she became a crime novelist and how she created her acclaimed husband-and-wife detective team. In 1986, Faye Kellerman introduced LAPD detective Peter Decker and widowed yeshiva teacher Rina Lazarus in her crime novel, The Ritual Bath. The debut won Kellerman the 1987 Macavity Award for Best First Novel and turned into a long-running bestselling series. But how exactly did it all come about? In this autobiographical piece, Kellerman discusses the origins of Decker and Lazarus and answers common questions from readers. Like, how much does she resemble her character, Rina? And how have Peter and Rina evolved? But Kellerman also talks about her own life as an author, mother, and wife. She shares what it’s like being married to a fellow novelist, and how exactly she carved out a place for herself in the world of crime writing. Praise for the Decker and Lazarus Novels “Exceptionally fine suspense.” —San Diego Union-Tribune “Faye Kellerman is a master of mystery.” —The Plain Dealer “Tautly exciting.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review “Reading a good thriller is very much like taking a great vacation: half the fun is getting there. Faye Kellerman is one heck of a tour guide.” —Detroit Free Press “Surprising twists and engaging subplots will keep readers turning the pages to the satisfying conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly

Faye Kellerman returns with an atmospheric, fast-paced mystery set in bucolic upstate New York, full of unexpected twists and turns that build to a shocking and surprising end—the latest thrilling entry in her New York Times bestseller Decker/Lazarus series. When Bertram Lanz goes missing from a local diner near Greenbury, the entire community of the small upstate New York town volunteers to search the surrounding woods. Bertram had been on a field trip with the staff and fellow residents of the Loving Care Home when he vanished. When no trace of the man is found, the disappearance quickly becomes an official missing persons case and is assigned to detectives Peter Decker and his partner Tyler McAdams. As their investigation deepens, the seasoned Decker becomes convinced that Bertram hadn’t lost his way but must have left with someone he knew. Soon Decker discovers that Elsie Schulung, a recently fired nurse who had worked at the home, seemed to be especially interested in Bertram. But answers prove elusive when Elsie disappears and human blood is found in her kitchen. These complications prove to be only the beginning. While combing the woods, searchers discover the remains of one of three young men who had vanished during a camping trip. And for Decker, personal problems are adding pressure as well. After a ten-year absence, the biological mother of Decker and Rina’s foster son, Gabriel, has suddenly appeared in New York, children in tow, wreaking emotional havoc on the young man. Juggling the personal and professional, a hot case and a cold case, Decker and McAdams race to find answers, sifting through cabinets of old files, a plethora of clues and evidence, and discouraging dead ends. As ongoing searches for Bertram and the campers’ missing remains continue, the frustrated detectives begin to wonder if the woods will ever give up its dark secrets...

The eleventh book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

Detective Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, risk life and limb to solve a pair of brutal murders that may be tied to a crime from more than twenty years ago in this intense and addictive mystery from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman. On a quiet suburban street in upstate Greenbury, New York, the brutally beaten body of a young man is discovered in the woods adjacent to an empty vacation home. Twenty-six-year-old Brady Neil a resident of the neighboring town of Hamilton, had no criminal record, few friends, worked full-time, and attended community college. But as Detective Peter Decker learns, the clean-cut kid is linked to the criminal world. When Brady was a baby, his father, Brandon Gratz, was convicted of robbing and killing the owners of a local jewelry store. While Gratz and his partner, Kyle Masterson, admitted to the robbery, they swore they left the owners, Glen and Lydia Levine, very much alive. The experienced detective knows there’s more to this homicide case than the records show. As he digs into Gratz’s past, Decker begins to suspect that the son’s murder may be connected to the father’s sins. Before he can put together the pieces, Decker finds out that one of Brady Neil’s friends, Joseph Boch—aka Boxer—has gone missing. Heading to Boch’s house with his temporary new partner, Hamilton PD cop Lenora Baccus, they discover a bloodbath. Who would savagely kill two innocent men—and why? Finding the answers will require all of Decker’s skill and knowledge, the help of his fellow Greenbury detectives, Tyler McAdams and Kevin Butterfield, and information gleaned from his wife Rina’s behind the scenes investigation to put all the pieces of this deadly puzzle together . . . and see justice done.

In the final installment of New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman’s three-part series, the serial killer whom Ben has been searching for targets once again someone he loves… After Ro’s stint working part time at a hotel where scientists frequently stay, she manages to hack into their computer and retrieve a list of scientists’ and other lab employees’ names. When she gives the data to Ben, he’s floored that she’s gone to such lengths for him. Though the ice between them has melted, he knows he can’t get involved with Ro or anyone else again until he finds Ellen’s killer. He can’t afford the distractions. But he doesn’t realize just how close he’s come to the killer—or that the killer knows Ben is on to him—until he finds all of the tires on his car slashed after leaving the prom. Now Ben knows no one he loves is safe—not Ro, not his parents, not his teenage sister Hayley, or her best friend Lily who has a huge crush on him. With the stakes dangerously high, Ben knows he’s running out of time—and that his next chance at apprehending the killer may very well be his last…

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman’s three-part series, she continues the harrowing story of Ben Vicksburg’s relentless search to find the diabolical serial killer who murdered his sister and three other teenage girls… After Ben and Ro find the remains of Katie Doogan, they travel to Berkeley, California, to look into the abduction and murder of Julia Rehnquist and to see if they can discover any clues that link her homicide to that of his sister’s. In California, Ben discovers undeniable patterns used by the killer and starts to home in on his identity. But knowing what he does is not enough to bring a murderer to justice, The man is a government agent, hidden and well-protected, making it that much more difficult for Ben and Ro to find him. But just as the investigation stalls so does Ben’s love life when Ro makes an unforgivable mistake. Though Ro messed up, she’s convinced deep down Ben still loves her. Now the only way she knows how to prove to him that she still loves him is by continuing to search for the killer—on her own… Discover what happens in the conclusion of Killing Season, Part 3, as Ben and Ro finally come face to face with the killer.

In the first installment of New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman’s three-part series, she spins the electrifying story of a teenaged boy on a quest to find the twisted serial killer who murdered his sister… Ben Vicksburg’s world was shattered forever when his sister Ellen went missing four years ago in the small town of River Remez, New Mexico. Ben was the one to discover her body in a shallow grave by the river’s edge on the first anniversary of her disappearance. On that day, he made a promise to Ellen that he would do whatever it took to find the monster who kidnapped and strangled her. Several years later, the police believe Ellen was the victim of a serial killer known as the Demon, but Ben isn’t convinced. As a math whiz, Ben is able to see patterns that don’t match. And when he researches other similar unsolved murders, he’s convinced the killer is still out there stalking more young girls. Though Detective Sam Shanks, the lead cop on the case, thinks Ben’s obsession has gone too far and warns him to back off, he refuses to give up. But when Ro Majors, the most popular girl in school, offers to help him, Ben not only finds an ally in the beautiful cheerleader he’s quickly falling hard for, but he also learns they share a bizarre coincidence that brings them closer together. As their search leads to the grisly discovery of the corpse of Katie Doogan, Ben becomes more desperate than ever to find this cunning, methodical killer before he strikes again. Find out what happens in Killing Season, Part 2, as the danger intensifies when Ben and Ro travel to California in their search to uncover a serial killer''s identity.

A FREE SNEAK PEEK OF NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR FAYE KELLERMAN’S NEW THREE-PART SERIES— KILLING SEASON In this sneak peek to Killing Season, the new three-part series by New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman, a depraved killer has just buried the body of his first victim, fifteen-year-old Ellen Vicksburg. The crime sets off an obsession for the victim’s brother, Ben Vicksburg, as he embarks on a mission to find and bring his sister’s killer to justice—an unforgettable story of a brother, his family, the girl he falls in love with, and the promise he’s sworn to keep…no matter the cost. Look for Killing Season, Part 1, to learn what happens after Ro Majors uncovers Ben Vicksburg''s disturbing secrets—and how his dangerous investigation soon lures her in.

In this thrilling chapter in Faye Kellerman’s bestselling series, Rina Lazarus makes a shocking discovery in the woods of her upstate New York community that leads her husband, police detective Peter Decker, through a series of gruesome, decades old, unsolved murders, pointing to a diabolical, serial killer who’s been hiding in plain sight. On a bright and crisp September morning, while walking a bucolic woodland trail, Rina Decker stumbles upon human remains once buried deep beneath the forest grounds. Immediately, she calls her husband, Peter, a former detective lieutenant with LAPD, now working for the local Greenbury Police. Within hours, a vista of beauty and tranquility is transformed into a frenetic crime scene. The body has been interred for years and there is scant physical evidence at the gravesite: a youthful skeleton, a skull wound and long dark strands of hair surrounding the bony frame. As Decker and his partner, Tyler McAdams, further investigate, they realize that they’re most likely dealing with a missing student from the nearby Five Colleges of Upstate—a well-known and well-respected consortium of higher learning where Rina works. And when more human remains are found in the same area, Decker and McAdams know this isn’t just a one-off murder case. Short-staffed and with no convenient entry into the colleges, Decker enlists Rina’s help to act as the eyes and ears of campus gossip. Winding their way through a dangerous labyrinth of steely suspects and untouchable academics, Decker, McAdams, and Rina race to protect their community from a psychopathic killer still in the area—and on the hunt for a fresh victim.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Theory of Death comes a short story set in an imaged future where computers speak for humans. This tale begins, "It was a time when the world, though filled with sound, was quiet." Technology has replaced the need to speak with texting, but when a virus spreads across the entire world, it leaves everyone blind. Doctors come together to fight the epidemic, but, as "The Voiceless" seek to answer, what does the ability to speak mean without the desire to do so? "The Voiceless" by Faye Kellerman is one of 20 short stories within Mulholland Books''s Strand Originals series, featuring thrilling stories by the biggest names in mystery from the Strand Magazine archives. View the full series list at mulhollandbooks.com and read them all!

The twenty-third book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

The twenty-second book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

As a detective lieutenant with the LAPD, Peter Decker witnessed enough ugliness and chaos for a lifetime. Now, he and his devoted wife Rena Lazarus are ready to enjoy the quiet beauty of upstate New York, where they can be closer to their four adult children and their foster son. But working for the Greenbury Police department isn''t as fulfilling as Decker hoped. While Rina has adapted beautifully to their new surroundings, Decker is underwhelmed and frustrated by his new partner, Tyler McAdams, a former Harvard student and young buck with a bad ''tude. Just when he thinks he''s made a mistake, Decker is called to his first real crime here--a possible break-in at the local cemetery. At first, it seems like a false alarm until it''s discovered that a mausoleum''s stunning Tiffany panels have been replaced by forgeries. Then, a coed at one of the exclusive local colleges is brutally murdered. Poking into the hallowed halls of academia to find a killer, Decker and McAdams are drawn deep into a web of dark secrets, cold case crimes, international intrigue, and ruthless people who kill for sport. Suddenly, the job is anything but boring. This case just might be too much to handle and Decker will have to draw on every ounce of experience that he has garnered in the past thirty years as a Homicide cop. And then again, even that might not be enough!

The sixth book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

When reclusive inventor, Hobart Penny, is found dead in his apartment, the cops think his pet—an adult female tiger—attacked the elderly billionaire. But it soon becomes clear that the beast that killed him is all too human. Digging into the victim''s life, LAPD Lieutenant Peter Decker and his colleagues, Detectives Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver, discover that Penny was an exceptionally peculiar man with exotic tastes, including kinky sex with call girls. Following a trail of clues that leads from a wildlife sanctuary in the San Bernardino Mountains to the wild nightlife of Las Vegas, the detectives are left juggling too many suspects and too few answers. To crack a case involving the two most primal instincts—sex and murder—Decker must turn to a man with expert knowledge of both: Chris Donatti, the dangerous man who is also the father of Decker''s foster son, Gabriel Whitman. As their work and intimate worlds collide, family crises and work-related responsibilities might prove too much for Decker''s career. When all these shocking truths come out, exactly how will Decker and his wife, Rina, survive?

The professional and the personal intersect in treacherous ways in this compelling and eerie installment in Faye Kellerman''s thrilling New York Times bestselling Decker/Lazarus series Throughout his years with the LAPD, Peter Decker has handled a number of tough cases and strange killers. But few of his previous assignments compare to his latest case—the most bizarre of his storied career. When Hobart Penny is found dead in his apartment, the cops think that his pet cat—an adult female tiger—attacked the reclusive elderly billionaire. But it soon becomes clear that the beast that killed the eccentric inventor is all too human. Digging into the victim''s life, Decker and his colleagues, Detectives Marge Dunn and Scott Oliver, discover that Penny was an exceptionally peculiar man with exotic tastes, including kinky sex with call girls. Following a trail of clues that leads from a wildlife sanctuary in the San Bernardino Mountains to the wild nightlife of Las Vegas, the LAPD detectives are left juggling too many suspects and too few answers. To break open a case involving the two most primal instincts—sex and murder—Decker wrestles with a difficult choice. Should he turn to a man with expert knowledge of both, Chris Donatti, the dangerous man who also happens to be the father of Decker''s foster son, Gabriel Whitman, a boy not without his own problems? As their work and intimate worlds collide, Decker and his wife, Rina, find themselves facing tough questions. It just might be that family crises and work-related responsibilities prove too much for Decker''s career. A confluence of ordeals can stress even the most intact of families. And when all these shocking truths comes out, exactly how well will Decker and Rina cope, and survive?

LAPD homicide detective Peter Decker investigates the murder of famed heart surgeon Azor Sparks, but cannot seem to find an angle among the conflicting stories of the doctor''s heirs, his jealous colleagues, and a gang of outlaw bikers.

The twentieth book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

It’s Prom Night . . . and the queen is dead. LAPD Homicide Detective Peter Decker and his wife and confidante Rina Lazarus have a daughter of their own. So the savage murder of a popular high school girl on prom night strikes home . . . very hard. The cruel and bizarre slaying of a beautiful teen leads Detective Decker into the dark heart of an exotic subculture: the seamy, sometimes violent world of Southern California’s rootless, affluent youth. But even the confession of a disturbed kid with cold “killer eyes” cannot soothe Decker’s inner torment. For he knows in his gut this crime goes much deeper and higher than anyone expects—and that true justice, brutal and com- plete, has yet to be done.

Los Angeles Police Detective Peter Decker had grown very close to Rina''s young sons, Sammy and Jake, as he had to their mother, and he looked forward to spending a day of his vacation camping with the boys. A nice reprieve from the grueling work of a homicide cop—until Sammy stumbles upon a gruesome sight . . . Two human skeletons, charred beyond recognition, are identified by a forensic dentist as teenage girls—and for Decker, the father of a sixteen-year-old daughter, vacation time is over. Throwing himself professionally and emotionally into the murder case, he launches a very personal investigation: a quest that pulls him deep into the crack dens of Hollywood Boulevard and painfully close to the children of the streets and a nightmare world he must make his own.

Murder, a missing woman, and a sociopath from the past sweep Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus into a labyrinth of mystery and danger in this electrifying new tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman. . . . Fifteen years ago, high school senior Chris Whitman went to jail for murdering his girlfriend, Cheryl Diggs. Propelled by a misguided sense of chivalry, he confessed, determined to save another classmate, the beautiful and vulnerable Terry McLaughlin, from having to testify at his trial. When the truth came out, Chris was released from prison, married Terry—pregnant with his child—and changed his last name to Donatti. He also became a professional killer. Peter Decker was the detective on the case, and over the years, he and Terry kept in touch. Now his friend is in L.A. and asking for a favor. Though Decker knows full well that getting involved will bring Terry''s sociopathic husband back into his life, the obsessive and duty-bound LAPD lieutenant reluctantly agrees. The favor soon becomes complicated when Terry goes missing and Donatti disappears, leaving their fourteen-year-old son, Gabe, with no one to turn to except Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus. But Peter''s search for Terry must share center stage with a gruesome murder. Adrianna Blanc, a neonatal nurse at St. Timothy''s Hospital, had signed off her night shift at eight a.m. Six hours later, a foreman supervising the construction of a house in a nearby suburb discovered her body swinging from the rafters, a cable wire around her neck. Her car was found where she had parked it the night before, with no signs of foul play. A dedicated and conscientious professional, Adrianna had a circle of close friends. Yet as Decker and his able team soon learn, the young woman also had her share of detractors. A party-hearty girl, she enjoyed booze, kinky sex, and revenge-cheating on her boyfriend, Garth Hammerling, another nurse at St. Tim''s. Suspicions heat up when Decker and his team find that one of Adrianna''s last phone calls was a provocative and disturbing message to her vacationing boyfriend—who himself has vanished without a trace. Was Adrianna''s death something personal because of her carefree lifestyle? Or was this unusually cruel and very dramatic murder the first signs of a serial killer? With lives hanging in the balance, Decker and his colleagues, Sergeant Marge Dunn and Detective Scott Oliver, need to find answers and fast. As if juggling two investigations weren''t enough for the lieutenant (not to mention turning sixty!), things are becoming even more dangerous with his precarious home life. Ever the concerned parent, Decker wants to look after Terry''s son, Gabe. Yet who will protect his own family? Because if there''s one thing he knows for sure, with a sociopath like Donatti on the loose, no one is ever really safe.

Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus face a familiar sociopath in this electrifying new tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Faye Kellerman

The brutal murder of Dr. Azor Sparks in an alley behind a restaurant is greeted with public outrage and a demand for swift, sure justice. But the investigation into the well-known surgeon''s death is raising too many questions and providing too few answers for homicide detective Lieutenant Peter Decker. Why, for example, would the family of a man so beloved respond to his slaying with more surprise than grief? And what linked a celebrated doctor with strict fundamentalist beliefs to a gang of outlaw bikers? But the most unsettling connection of all is the one that ties the tormented Sparks family to Peter Decker''s own -- and the secrets shared by a renegade Catholic priest...and Decker''s wife, Rina Lazarus.

A man walks into a trendy Los Angeles restaurant -- a disgruntled ex-employee with an automatic weapon -- and seconds later, thirteen people are dead and thirty-two more have been wounded. It is a heinous act of mass slaughter that haunts Homicide Detective Peter Decker. But, though eyewitnesses saw only the lone gunman -- who apparently took his own life after his bloody work was done -- evidence suggests more than one weapon was fired. It is a disturbing inconsistency that sends Decker racing headlong into a sordid, labyrinthine world of Southern California money and power, on an investigation that threatens to destroy his reputation and his career.

L.A.P.D. Detective Peter Decker doesn''t know quite what to make of Lilah Brecht. The beautiful, eccentric spa owner and daughter of a faded Hollywood legend, Lilah was beaten, robbed, and raped in her own home -- and claims to have psychic powers that enable her to see even more devastating events looming on the horizon. With his heart and mind on his pregnant young wife, Rina Lazarus, at home, Peter finds it hard to put much credence in the victim''s outrageous claims, or to become too deeply involved with her equally odd brothers and aging film star mom. But when Lilah''s dark visions turn frighteningly real, Decker''s world will be severely rocked -- as the "false prophet''s" secrets and obsessions entrap the dedicated policeman ... and point a killer toward Decker''s own vulnerable family.