Seth Margolis – författare

A woman fleeing an abusive relationship is entangled in a shocking crime in this thriller by the bestselling author of Perfect Angel and President’s Day.   Gwen Amiel had only wanted a job, a haven, a fresh start—and the nanny position seemed to offer exactly that. But inside a wealthy family’s elegant home, a crime is committed that is so shocking—so seemingly random—that a tiny upstate New York town will never be the same.   Gradually, evidence will lead the authorities to the family’s new nanny, a woman whose past is shrouded in mystery . . . and violence. Now, with a police investigation swirling around her and no way to prove her innocence, she turns to the one person who seems to believe her, and the one place she feels safe. But as Gwen struggles to find answers, she’ll discover that nothing is what it seems, that no one can escape from the past, and that trusting the wrong person can destroy your sanity . . . and your life.

A party game among a group of old friends unearths a terrifying truth in this “breathtaking psychological thriller” (Library Journal).   Back at college in the 1970s, they called themselves “The Madison Seven”—a close circle of inseparable friends. Years later, they have gathered at Julia Mallet’s Manhattan apartment for her thirty-fifth birthday, where they decide to play a game involving Julia’s talent for hypnosis.   Julia, an advertising executive, is raising her daughter without the inconvenience of a husband. She’s happy to have her friends over to celebrate and reminisce—but they’re about to bring back a past that should have been left dead and forgotten.   Less than twenty-four hours after the party, a woman Julia barely knows is brutally and senselessly slain. The maniac has left a calling card that only Julia can read: the result of a post-hypnotic suggestion inadvertently lodged in six subconscious minds. Now Julia knows without question that one of her dearest friends is a murderer . . .   From the author of Losing Isaiah and Closing Costs, this is a “thoroughly chilling and engrossing” tale of suspense (Library Journal).   “Some cleverly diabolic twists . . . Frightening.” —Booklist   “A page-turner.” —Orlando Sentinel

A man wants to fake his own death—and then things get real—in this PI mystery from the national bestselling author of False Faces.   When retail tycoon George Samson appears in Det. Joe DiGregorio’s Manhattan office asking for help in faking his own death, the wary private eye, a former Long Island cop, knows enough to refuse.   But Samson’s proposition isn’t easy to forget. So when Samson is found murdered soon afterward, the struggling PI is convinced that his would-be client found another “killer.” There’s only one problem: the death is genuine. Something went wrong somewhere—but what?   DiGregorio offers his investigative talents to the new CEO of Samson Stores, who accepts. Since leaving the force, he’s been struggling to make it as a private investigator, and this case could be the making of his new career—or the end of him.

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER AND FEATURE FILM STARRING HALLE BERRY AND JESSICA LANGE "Riveting...impossible to turn away from." —THE BOSTON GLOBE "Losing Isaiah pushes all the current cultural buttons...[Margolis] gets inside the head of every character." —THE WASHINGTON POST "[E]ngrossing and, to its credit, offers no pat answers to complicated issues." —PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY Three-year-old Isaiah has two mothers: and they both want him. Margaret Lewin adopted Isaiah as a newborn—and she and her husband, Charles, give the boy all the love a child could want and everything that money can buy. But can even the most loving, caring white family be responsible for raising a black child? Selma Richards is the boy''s birth mother. When Isaiah was born she was illiterate, unemployed, and a crack addict. Giving up her son was the best thing for both of them—at the time. Now Selma has weaned herself off drugs, has a responsible job caring for another couple''s child, and is learning to read. She''s not rich and she doesn''t live in the best neighborhood, but she''s healed herself. LOSING ISAIAH raises one of the most complex and emotional moral questions of our times, and keeps you rooting for both women until the inevitable and heartrending conclusion in which one mother ends up losing her son.

“Fans of Tom Wolfe and Jonathan Franzen will revel” in this tale of New York real estate and its outrageous fortunes (Booklist).   When Peggy Gimmel decides to sell the apartment she bought decades ago for a few thousand dollars, she’s thrilled to discover it’s worth almost two million. But her sudden windfall triggers a cascade of unexpected events, and plunges her into the orbit of Lucinda Wells—one of Manhattan’s most successful, and ruthless, real-estate agents.   Peggy’s not the only one at Lucinda’s mercy. There’s also the technology entrepreneur struggling to salvage his sinking company while gut-renovating his home; the socialite exiled from Park Avenue to the pullout sofa of her parents’ West Side apartment; the illegal immigrant amassing a fortune printing money; and the clueless widow trying to unload a world-class collection of fake artwork. These are just some of the characters whose lives intersect in unlikely ways, all of them nearly overwhelmed by the rocketing real-estate market and the hard-charging broker who holds the key to their future.   “A fun-to-read, engaging look at how the other half lives, buys, and sells.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune   “Completely entertaining, wickedly funny and observant . . . Think Bonfire of the Vanities for real estate.” —The Tampa Tribune

A cop goes undercover to investigate the murder of a woman on New York’s Fire Island: “A good yarn populated with well-drawn characters” (Booklist).   Alison, a young, single Manhattan retail buyer, first met Linda seven years ago, when both answered the same classified ad for a Fire Island share. Since then, they’ve been returning to Seaside Harbor every summer weekend.   But one night, after leaving Crane’s, a famed singles bar, Linda is found murdered, and Alison starts to realize how little she really knows about her housemate. Is the killer a spurned suitor? What about the mysterious lover back in the city Linda had spoken of—but whom Alison has never met?   Meanwhile, Long Island police officer Joe DiGregorio has been assigned to work undercover on the case, posing as a yuppie accountant. Together, Joe and Alison—who is unaware of Joe’s real identity—are about to unravel Linda’s many secrets . . .   “With refreshing insight, Margolis conveys the intensity and the crass materialism that are the hallmarks of a certain breed of young professionals.” —Publishers Weekly

A long-lost manuscript may reveal the past—or destroy the future—in “a wildly imaginative thriller that fans of Dan Brown and Steve Berry will love” (Phillip Margolin, New York Times–bestselling author).   Lee Nicholson is ready to take the academic world by storm, having discovered a sonnet she believes was written by William Shakespeare. But when she reads the poem on the air, the words put her life in peril and trigger a violent chase—with stakes that reach far beyond the cloistered walls of academia.   Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, are secrets that have been hidden since Elizabethan times, secrets known only to the queen and her trusted doctor, but guessed at by men who seek the crown and others who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what historians know of the great Elizabeth I—and release a terrifying pandemic.   Lee’s quest for the answers buried in the sonnet keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a madman who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own.   As this intelligent thriller moves back and forth between Tudor England and the present day, Lee begins to piece together the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words, carrying the story to its gasp-out-loud conclusion.   “Imaginative plotting and depth of character distinguish this centuries-spanning thriller.” —Publishers Weekly   “Will have you on the edge of your seat . . . a roller-coaster ride of a book.” —C. W. Gortner, international-bestselling author of The Last Queen

In this stunning thrill ride, perfect for fans of Steve Berry, a poem holds the key to unlocking the past— and to eliminating the future.Lee Nicholson takes the academic world by storm, seemingly unearthing a never-before published sonnet by William Shakespeare. When she reads the poem on the air, her words are ignored by all but a small group of people. There are the English and literature buffs. There are the curious and those who seek out hoaxes.And there are men who will kill to keep the sonnet from every being read again.Buried in the language of the sonnet, in its allusions and wordplay, secrets have been hidden dating back to Elizabethan times, shared by the queen and her doctor, by men who seek the crown and men who seek the world. If the riddles are solved, it could explode what the world knows of the monarchy. Or, it could release a pandemic more deadly than the world has ever seen.Lee’s quest keeps her one step ahead of an international hunt—from the police who want her for murder, to a group of men who will stop at nothing to end her quest, to a mad man who pursues the answers for destructive reasons of his own. Globetrotting as she pieces together what Shakespeare meant, and what he meant to leave unsaid, Lee carries this intelligent thriller through to its gasp-out-loud conclusion. "Imaginative plotting and depth of character distinguish this centuries-spanning thriller..."—Publishers Weekly “This provocative and knuckle-biting thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as it careens through the hallowed halls of academia into the turbulent past. Hold tight to your farthingales: this is a roller-coaster ride of a book!”—C.W. Gortner, international bestselling author of The Last Queen

In his atmospheric, complex and suspenseful psychological thriller, Seth Margolis delivers the story of a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, only to find herself with a man whose dangerous past is obscured by his seductive charm—and who may be framing her for murder.Gwen Amiel had only wanted a job, a haven, a fresh start. But inside a wealthy family's elegant home, a crime is committed that is so shocking—so seemingly random—that a tiny upstate New York town will never be the same. Gradually, evidence will lead the authorities to Gwen, the family's new nanny, a woman whose past is shrouded in mystery...and violence. Now, with a police investigation swirling around her and no way to prove her innocence, she turns to the one person who seems to believe her, and the one place she feels safe. But as Gwen struggles to find answers, she'll discover that nothing is what it seems, that no one can escape from the past, and that trusting the wrong person can destroy your sanity...and your life.

"Sizzling...Original...Hypnotic...A page-turner." —ORLANDO SENTINEL"Thoroughly chilling and engrossing...a breathtaking psychological thriller." —LIBRARY JOURNALBack at college in the '70s, they called themselves "The Madison Seven"—a close circle of friends inseparably linked by trust, loyalty, and love. Then one night, years later, they gathered at Julia Mallet's Manhattan apartment for a "Come-As-You-Were Party" and decided to play a game...Tough, beautiful and independent, Julia Mallet feels her life is nearly perfect. She holds a high-profile executive position in an important advertising firm. She is raising a beautiful little daughter, Emily, without the inconvenience of a husband. And now "The Madison Seven" have come together once again to celebrate her thirty-fifth birthday...and to bring back a past that should have been left dead and forgotten.Less than twenty-four hours later, a woman Julia barely knows is brutally and senselessly slain by a faceless psychopath. NYPD Detective Ray Burgess is a man pursued by shadows, a good cop who has stared too deeply into the face of evil, and his obsessive dedication is drawing him closer to Julia, even as a crazed killer strikes again and again.The maniac has left a calling card behind that only Julia Mallet can read: the result of a post-hypnotic suggestion inadvertently lodged in six subconscious minds—the dark residue of a harmless party game gone terribly wrong. Now Julia knows without question that one of her six dearest friends is a murderer...and is coming after her next.

When retail tycoon George Samson appears in detective Joe DiGregorio's office asking for help in faking his own death, the wary private eye knows enough to refuse. Joe D. has been having second thoughts about his move from the Long Island police force, where he'd been a lieutenant, to trying to make it as a private detective in Manhattan. Joe had made the move to be with Alison Rosen, whom he met while working a homicide case on Fire Island (FALSE FACES). Though wonderful in many ways, their relationship is strained by Joe D.'s lack of work and income. The Big City doesn't seem to need one more private investigator. But George Samson’s proposition isn't easy to forget. So when Samson is found murdered, the struggling P.I. is convinced that his would-be client found another "killer." Thing is, there's no doubt the man is dead. What happened?Intent on the truth, Joe D. offers his investigative talents to the new CEO of Samson Stores, who accepts, and Joe D. embarks on a case that could be the making of his new career—or the end of him.

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER AND FEATURE FILM STARRING HALLE BERRY AND JESSICA LANGE"Riveting...impossible to turn away from." —THE BOSTON GLOBE"Losing Isaiah pushes all the current cultural buttons...[Margolis] gets inside the head of every character." —THE WASHINGTON POST"[E]ngrossing and, to its credit, offers no pat answers to complicated issues." —PUBLISHER’S WEEKLYThree-year-old Isaiah has two mothers: and they both want him.Margaret Lewin adopted Isaiah as a newborn—and she and her husband, Charles, give the boy all the love a child could want and everything that money can buy. But can even the most loving, caring white family be responsible for raising a black child?Selma Richards is the boy's birth mother. When Isaiah was born she was illiterate, unemployed, and a crack addict. Giving up her son was the best thing for both of them—at the time. Now Selma has weaned herself off drugs, has a responsible job caring for another couple's child, and is learning to read. She's not rich and she doesn't live in the best neighborhood, but she's healed herself. LOSING ISAIAH raises one of the most complex and emotional moral questions of our times, and keeps you rooting for both women until the inevitable and heartrending conclusion in which one mother ends up losing her son.

"The well-drawn characters complement Margolis's wry observations on Manhattan life and the ups and downs of marriage and career." —PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY“Fans of Tom Wolfe and Jonathan Franzen will revel in this zesty tale of penthouse envy and dot-com detumescence." —BOOKLISTWhen Peggy Gimmel decides to sell the apartment she bought decades ago for a few thousand dollars, she's thrilled to discover that it's worth almost $2 million. But her sudden windfall triggers a cascade of unexpected events and plunges her into the dizzying orbit of Lucinda Wells, one of Manhattan's most successful and ruthless real-estate agents.Peggy's not the only one at Lucinda's mercy. There's also the technology entrepreneur struggling to salvage his sinking company while gut-renovating his home, the socialite exiled from Park Avenue to the pullout sofa of her parents' West Side apartment, the illegal immigrant amassing a fortune printing money, and the clueless widow trying to unload a world-class collection of fake artwork. These are just some of the characters whose lives intersect in unlikely ways, all of them nearly overwhelmed by the rocketing real-estate market and the hard-charging broker who holds the key to their future.As he interweaves these often suspenseful and frequently comical stories, Margolis captures the zeitgeist of a cultural moment, keeping us turning the pages with the rise and fall of his characters' fortunes.

"With refreshing insight, Margolis conveys the intensity and the crass materialism that are the hallmarks of a certain breed of young professionals." —PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY"A good yarn populated with well-drawn characters. A credible portrait of the Fire Island singles scene gives the work a solid aura of [believability]." —BOOKLISTAlison Rosen, a young, single Manhattan department-store buyer, first met Linda Levinson seven years ago when both answered the same Village Voice classified ad for a Fire Island "share." Since then, they've been returning to Seaside Harbor every summer weekend.One night, after leaving Crane's, the singles bar that often serves as a pickup place, Linda Levinson is found murdered. Is her killer a spurned suitor whose advances Linda rejected? What about the mysterious lover back in the city about whom Linda had spoken but whom Alison has never met?Long Island police officer Joe DiGregorio is assigned to work undercover on the case, posing as a yuppie accountant. Together, Joe and Alison, who is unaware of Joe's masquerade, set out to find the murderer before he strikes again. In the process, they find out that Linda was a woman of many secrets—and find themselves falling in love in an atmosphere in which nobody can be trusted.