I don't forgive you

Professional photographer Allie Ross, the narrator of Thompson's strong debut, has recently moved to an upscale D.C. suburb with her lawyer husband and their kindergarten-age son. During a neighborhood party, Allie casually flirts with Rob Avery, who sexually assaults her and calls her Lexi, an old nickname associated with her statutory rape secret from her high school years. The next day, Rob is found dead after ingesting a lethal dose of liquid Ambien. The police suspect foul play and accuse Allie of murder, especially since she apparently had a Tinder relationship with the victim. But Allie insists she never created a Tinder account and claims someone is posing as her online. The hacker soon posts Facebook photos that expose Allie's secret, and the police discover that a package of liquid Ambien was delivered to her house. She realizes someone is trying to frame her, but flounders to prove her innocence, creating wedges between her family and neighbors. Some readers will be frustrated with the choices Allie makes that add to her peril, but they won't be able to put down the book until they discover the culprit. Thompson is off to a solid start. (June)

DEBUT After growing up with an undependable alcoholic mother and experiencing abuse, Allie Ross has carefully crafted her current life, but it's starting to unravel. She already had a lot to juggle: trying to build her photography career while parenting her young son, being a supportive wife, and managing her aging mother's care. Now she's just moved to an upscale DC suburb because of her husband's new job; there she finds that the local moms are more competitive and cliquish than friendly. When an aggressively flirtatious dad from a neighborhood party turns up dead, with a phone full of seemingly incriminating texts from Allie, she becomes a prime suspect in his murder and realizes that someone has been impersonating her online. As things spiral out of control, Allie begins to suspect that her past has finally caught up with her. VERDICT In crime reporter Thompson's gripping fiction debut, Allie is welcomed to her wealthy new neighborhood by being framed for murder. The spot-on depictions of modern parenthood and suburban life make this story even more suspenseful, as Allie tries to find the real murderer before her entire life is destroyed.--Melissa DeWild, Comstock Park, MI