Böcker av Lisa Black

A grisly death in a quiet suburb pulls forensic scientist Theresa MacLean into the case.A terrifying hostage situation at a downtown bank makes it personal.But the nightmare truly begins when she gets inside.

Few tears are shed over the slain corpse of Marie Corrigan, found in the presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton during a legal convention. A Cleveland defense attorney with a history of falsifying evidence, Corrigan was resoundingly hated by all?colleagues, adversaries . . . even her lovers.Investigator Theresa MacLean is summoned to the crime scene by her daughter, Rachael, who is working the front desk, and immediately knows she is walking into a forensic nightmare?with trace evidence left behind by countless former hotel guests. But the discovery of two more bodies in rapid succession indicates that this nightmare is far worse than she initially imagined, that Corrigan's death was not a crime of passion, but the opening move of a serial killer with a vendetta . . . and that Theresa and her daughter are both frighteningly close to death.

Seventy-five years ago, the Torso Killer terrorized a city with a horrific spree of murder/dismemberments. He was never caught.It would be impossible for the maniac to still be at large?and active?today . . .A decapitated body has been found in a sealed room in an abandoned building?and forensic scientist Theresa MacLean believes the decades-old corpse is a previously unaccounted-for victim of the legendary psychopath. But the discovery of a second body?newly slain and bearing the unmistakable signature of the Torso Killer?suggests the unthinkable: that a copycat serial killer is following in a madman's bloody footprints.A long-dormant nightmare has been reawakened as a dark history repeats itself. Theresa MacLean's forensic investigation has opened a door into a terrifying past?a door someone desperately wants to keep closed . . . and will keep killing to make it so.

When the pregnant daughter of software pioneer Martin Post, the third richest man in America, is murdered, expert forensic analysts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies, called in to investigate, are drawn into the Posts' increasingly dangerous family dynamic to determine who--and what--is at the heart of the crime.

For fans of Patricia Cornwell, Jefferson Bass, and Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black draws from her real-life scientific expertise as a crime scene analyst and her skill in crafting complex and dynamic female characters, as Washington DC forensic scientists Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies team up to solve the deadliest and most devious crimes.This suspense-driven installment in the Locard Institute Thriller series poses a chilling question: What happens when a serial killer goes to CSI school?The Locard Institute is a state-of-the-art forensic research center where experts from around the world come together to confront and solve the world’s most challenging and perplexing crimes. When Dr. Ellie Carr arrives for her first day as an instructor at the prestigious facility, the buildings glimmer amid the brilliant fall foliage on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. But within hours a colleague, Dr. Barbara Wright, is found dead on the floor of a supply closet. Her death appears to be an accident—but Ellie and her new supervisor, Dr. Rachael Davies, suspect a more sinister explanation.A young woman attending a professional training program then disappears, only to be found in a gruesome tableau. Other than their link to the Institute, there seems to be no connection between the student and Dr. Wright. Although forensic traces are elusive, Ellie and Rachael are determined to find the bizarre link between the violent and diverse deaths. As reporters shatter the privacy of Ellie’s new workplace, she searches old files and finds evidence of a crime that feels much too personal. But who, among those dedicated to justice, could be the threat? No matter how skilled she and Rachael may be in uncovering the truth, they may not be able to prevent a well-schooled killer from striking again.“Black, who writes elegantly from personal experience as a criminologist herself, has fashioned a wondrously structured tale with the pace and energy of a great crime film.” —BookTrib on Red Flags

"When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she's shocked to discover that the child's mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion--until their infant son is taken. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca's son--and others like him--will face an unthinkable fate."--

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Black launches a pulse-pounding new series with a taut, compelling forensic thriller that introduces Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies, who must combine their expertise to solve deadly crimes . . .When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she's shocked to discover that the child's mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion-until their infant son is taken. "Every contact leaves a trace." That's the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition.At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca's son-and others like him-will face an unthinkable fate . . .

The key to Theresa MacLean's latest case lies in a 25-year-old unsolved murder