| Red Diana Contributor(s): Alexander, Susan (Author) |
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ISBN: 0692181938 ISBN-13: 9780692181935 Publisher: Susan Alexander OUR PRICE: $12.56 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2018 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Thrillers - Psychological - Fiction | Thrillers - Legal |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2022285850 |
| Physical Information: 0.44" H x 5.25" W x 8" (0.49 lbs) 190 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: When 8-year-old Davi is abducted on Market Street in San Francisco, her mother, lawyer Karen Clark, is gripped by fear. Karen has moved to the city from Chicago hoping to make a "fresh start" after the death of her husband. The abductor, disguising his voice, calls Karen and reveals where he's left Davi. Karen and her friend Abby rush to find Davi, cruelly left alone in a barren parking lot--but unharmed. Karen's panic subsides until she finds a crude note pinned to Davi's shirt: "You're next, Karen." Haunted by the note naming her as the next victim, Karen begins working with SFPD Detective Greg Chan to discover who abducted her daughter--and why. Their only clues are Davi's recall of a brown sofa and the words "RED DIANA." Karen and Greg spend weeks trying to discover the meaning of "Red Diana." Is "Diana" the name of a street in San Francisco? Does it refer to the Roman goddess of the hunt, portrayed in famous works of art? These attempts to find the abductor lead nowhere. Karen searches her brain to think of possible abductors. Disgruntled clients in her past? Weirdos encountered since she moved to San Francisco? In a brief respite, Karen reconnects with Brad, a law-school classmate visiting San Francisco. The feelings they had for each other reawaken, and Karen goes to Brad's room at the Palace Hotel, relishing the intimate time they spend together. But the respite ends, and Karen doubts that she'll ever see Brad again. When Karen and Greg Chan reach a dead end, Karen risks her safety by going forward on her own. She's met someone who promises to lead her to the abductor. In the sumptuous Victorian home of a wealthy entrepreneur who has offered to help her, she discovers the shocking answers she's been seekig. Set in San Francisco, with flashbacks to Chicago and New York, this chilling psychological thriller explores themes like the desire for revenge, the terrible burden of guilt, the tyranny of unethical lawyers and corrupt judges, the love between parent and child, the shattering pain of losing a loved one--and the many routes survivors take to deal with their loss. Featuring a story packed with suspense, an original and compelling storyline, vivid characters, and a satisfying ending, this novel by author Susan Alexander is must-reading. Please note: Karen Clark is also the protagonist in another riveting thriller by Susan Alexander, "A Quicker Blood." The suspenseful story in "RED DIANA" takes place 12 years later.
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Contributor Bio(s): Alexander, Susan: - Susan Alexander is a lifelong writer who has worked as a lawyer and law professor. She now focuses primarily on writing. Susan grew up in Chicago, where she attended public schools before going on to earn degrees in political science at Washington University in St Louis (AB with highest honors) and Northwestern University (MA). She then chose to work towards social justice through law at Harvard University and earned a law degree at Harvard Law School. Susan began her legal career as a law clerk to a U.S. district judge in Chicago (Julius J. Hoffman, who famously presided over the "Chicago 7" trial, but who also offered his law clerks valuable experience deciding important legal issues). Susan then garnered a Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship, working as a public interest lawyer for two years: First, at the Chicago Legal Aid Bureau's Appellate and Test Case Division; second, at the National Legal Program on Health Problems of the Poor, located at UCLA Law School. Susan continued her work as a public interest lawyer at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego and the National Institute for Consumer Justice, based at the University of Michigan Law School. While at Michigan, Susan began her teaching career, focusing on teaching law students legal analysis and writing. She later taught poverty law at the University of San Diego School of Law. She moved on to teaching legal analysis and writing for two years at IIt/Chicago-Kent College of Law and a total of four years at Northwestern University School of Law. Susan has served as an arbitrator since 1990 and has worked as an associate and a knowledgeable source on writing at three Chicago law firms. She has also created You Can Write Better, a consulting business that helps practicing lawyers sharpen their writing skills. She is a lifelong writer whose writing has appeared in a wide range of publications, including major newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as a number of professional journals like the Hastings Law Journal, the Buffalo Law Review, and the Cooley Law Review. Susan's novels, "A Quicker Blood" (2009) and "Jealous Mistress" (2011), have garnered high praise in customer reviews appearing online. Her short story, "Neglect," was a prizewinner in Chicago Lawyer magazine's first annual fiction contest. The protagonist in "Jealous Mistress" is loosely based on Susan, and the novel, a mystery, depicts her life as the mother of two young daughters in a North Shore suburb of Chicago who temporarily leaves her demanding legal career so she can spend more time with her young children. The mystery plot is, of course, total fiction. Susan launched a blog, Susan Just Writes, in 2012 and has added a new post about once a month since 2012. The posts include commentary on the passing scene, travel, politics, movies, books, and an array of other topics. Some recent posts: "A day without a drug commercial"; "Pockets!"; "The last straw(s)"; "High heels are killers"; "Of mice and chocolate"; "They're my blue jeans, and I'll wear them if I want to"; "Down and hot in Paris and London,";"Watching the movie 'Z': A tale of two Hoffmans"; "Let's lobby Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act" Susan's new novel, "Red Diana," is a psychological thriller that explores themes like the desire for revenge, the burden of guilt, the tyranny of unethical lawyers and corrupt judges, the parent-child relationship, the shattering pain of loss, and the many routes survivors take to deal with their loss. |
