{"product_id":"a-stranger-in-the-house-isbn-9780735221130","title":"A Stranger in the House","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNot a Happy Family\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e “\u003ci\u003eA Stranger in the House\u003c\/i\u003e will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.” \u003ci\u003e—Bustle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e “Smart and suspenseful . . . you'll never see the ending coming.” \u003ci\u003e—PureWow\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this neighborhood, danger lies close to home.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eKaren and Tom Krupp are happy—they’ve got a lovely home in upstate New York, they’re practically newlyweds, and they have no kids to interrupt their comfortable life together. But one day, Tom returns home to find Karen has vanished—her car’s gone and it seems she left in a rush. She even left her purse—complete with phone and ID—behind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere's a knock on the door—the police are there to take Tom to the hospital where his wife has been admitted. She had a car accident, and lost control as she sped through the worst part of town.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe accident has left Karen with a concussion and a few scrapes.  Still, she’s mostly okay—except that she can’t remember what she was doing or where she was when she crashed. The cops think her memory loss is highly convenient, and they suspect she was up to no good. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKaren returns home with Tom, determined to heal and move on with her life. Then she realizes something’s been moved. Something’s not quite right. Someone’s been in her house. And the police won't stop asking questions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause in this house, everyone’s a stranger. Everyone has something they’d rather keep hidden. Something they might even kill to keep quiet.Praise for \u003ci\u003eA Stranger in the House:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Lapena’s \u003ci\u003eA Stranger in the House\u003c\/i\u003e will have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Bustle\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Smart and suspenseful. . . you'll never see the ending coming.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e--\u003cb\u003ePureWow\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “So much suspense. So many twists. Good luck sleeping tonight.”\u003ci\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Hello Giggles\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nothing beats end-of-summer blues like diving into a thrilling story—and this novel delivered. . .  riveting.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eFirst for Women \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So many dizzying twists you'd better not drive after reading!” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Linwood Barclay, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eParting Shot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Smart, twisty and compulsive. Suspense and suspicion accumulate relentlessly, toying with your expectations and your emotions right up until the packs-a-punch ending. Don’t miss it, and don’t expect to be able to put it down.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Gilly Macmillan, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Girl\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A diverting page-turner.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Publishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Great suspense and lots of twists.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--The Toronto Sta\u003c\/i\u003er\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Lapena keeps the well-developed twists churning, with each a surprise notch in this ever-evolving plot, and she continues this skillful storytelling until the stunning twist at the end. . . memorable.\" \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Associated Press\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Meticulously crafted and razor sharp. \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door\u003c\/i\u003e lingers long after you turn the final page.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Harlan Coben, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFool Me Once\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePeople\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Provocative and shocking. One crime, an entire neighborhood of suspects, secrets and lies. How well do we ever know those around us? \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door\u003c\/i\u003e will keep you glued to the pages in search of the answer. Even then, you’ll never guess the truth . . . until it's too late.”\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e—Lisa Gardner, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFind Her\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e“I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the story line. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Sue Grafton, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e X\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Real men read women writers–because of books like this. Trust me.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Lee Child, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eMake Me\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A twisty, utterly riveting tale that will send readers on a wild roller-coaster ride of emotions. Shocking revelations kept me turning the pages like a madwoman.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Tess Gerritsen, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of\u003ci\u003e Playing with Fire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Expertly paced and finely crafted, \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping thriller of the highest order. I couldn’t put it down.”\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e—A. J. Banner, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Good Neighbor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Gripped me from the very beginning to the very end!” \u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eBecky Masterman, author of \u003ci\u003eRage Against the Dying\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Brilliant! This utterly riveting psychological thriller hurtles along at breakneck speed, never giving you the opportunity to catch your breath. Twisty, turny, and unputdownable.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—C. L. Taylor, bestselling  author of \u003ci\u003eThe Lie\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Exquisitely torturous tension.”\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e—NPR.org\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Where did that baby go! It’s hard not to read to the end to find out, and the twists waiting there are gratifyingly clever.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e“The many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters . . . will keep you on the edge of your seat. First-time novelist Lapena’s writing is spare and tense, and it makes \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door\u003c\/i\u003e a compulsive read. The last line is absolutely a killer.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003cbr\u003e—Good Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “[A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eThe Associated Press\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eShari Lapena \u003c\/b\u003eis the internationally bestselling author of eight thrillers, including \u003ci\u003eThe Couple Next Door\u003c\/i\u003e, which have all been\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eGlobe and Mail\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers. Lapena’s books have been sold in forty territories around the world. She lives on a farm outside Toronto.\u003ci\u003e She Didn’t See It Coming, \u003c\/i\u003eher ninth thriller, is forthcoming.Chapter One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On this hot August night, Tom Krupp parks his car–a leased      Lexus–in the driveway of his handsome two-story home. The house,      complete with a two-car garage, is set behind a generous lawn and      framed with beautiful old trees. To the right of the driveway, a      flagstone path crosses in front of the porch, with steps leading      up to a solid wooden door in the middle of the house. To the right      of the front door is a large picture window the width of the      living room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The house sits on a gently curving street that ends in a      cul-de-sac. The surrounding houses are all equally attractive and      well maintained, and relatively similar. People who live here are      successful and settled; everyone's a little bit smug.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This quiet, prosperous suburb in upstate New York, populated with      mostly professional couples and their families, seems oblivious to      the problems of the small city that surrounds it, oblivious to the      problems of the larger world, as if the American dream has      continued to live on here, smooth and unruffled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But the untroubled setting does not match Tom's current state of      mind. He cuts the lights and the engine and sits uneasily for a      moment in the dark, despising himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then, with a start, he notices that his wife's car is not in its      usual place in the driveway. He automatically checks his watch:      9:20. He wonders if he's forgotten something. Was she going out?      He can't remember her mentioning anything, but he's been so busy      lately. Maybe she just went out to run an errand and will be back      any minute. She's left the lights on; they give the house a      welcoming glow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He gets out of the car into the summer night–it smells of freshly      mown grass–swallowing his disappointment. He wanted, rather      fervently, to see his wife. He stands for a moment, his hand on      the roof of the car, and looks across the street. Then he grabs      his briefcase and suit jacket from the passenger seat and tiredly      closes the car door. He walks along the path, up the front steps,      and opens the door. Something is wrong. He holds his breath.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom stands completely still in the doorway, his hand resting on      the knob. At first he doesn't know what's bothering him. Then he      realizes what it is. The door wasn't locked. That in itself isn't      unusual-most nights he comes home and opens the door and walks      right in, because most nights Karen's home, waiting for him. But      she's gone out with her car and forgotten to lock the door. That's      very odd for his wife, who's a stickler about locking the doors.      He slowly lets out his breath. Maybe she was in a rush and forgot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His eyes quickly take in the living room, a serene rectangle of      pale gray and white. It's perfectly quiet; there's obviously no      one home. She left the lights on, so she must not have gone out      for long. Maybe she went to get some milk. There will probably be      a note for him. He tosses his keys onto the small table by the      front door and heads straight for the kitchen at the back of the      house. He's starving. He wonders if she's already eaten or whether      she's been waiting for him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It's obvious that she's been preparing their supper. A salad is      almost finished; she has stopped slicing mid-tomato. He looks at      the wooden cutting board, at the tomato and the sharp knife lying      beside it. There's pasta on the granite counter, ready to be      cooked, a large pot of water on the stainless steel gas stove. The      stove is off and the water in the pot is cold; he dips a finger in      to check. He scans the refrigerator door for a note-there's      nothing written on the whiteboard for him. He frowns. He pulls his      cell phone out of his pants pocket and checks to see if there's      any message from her that he might have missed. Nothing. Now he's      mildly annoyed. She might have told him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom opens the door to the refrigerator and stands there for a      minute, staring sightlessly at its contents, then grabs an      imported beer and decides to start the pasta. He's sure she'll be      home any minute. He looks around curiously to see what they might      have run out of. They have milk, bread, pasta sauce, wine,      parmesan cheese. He checks the bathroom-there's plenty of toilet      paper. He can't think of anything else that might be urgent. While      he waits for the water to come to a boil, he calls her cell, but      she doesn't pick up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fifteen minutes later, the pasta is ready, but there is no sign of      his wife. Tom leaves the pasta in the strainer in the sink, turns      off the burner under the pot of tomato sauce, and wanders      restlessly into the living room, his hunger forgotten. He looks      out the large picture window across the lawn to the street beyond.      Where the hell is she? He's starting to get anxious now. He calls      her cell again and hears a faint vibration coming from behind him.      He whips his head toward the sound and sees her cell phone,      vibrating against the back of the sofa. Shit. She forgot her      phone. How can he reach her now?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He starts looking around the house for clues as to where she might      have gone. Upstairs, in their bedroom, he's surprised to find her      bag sitting on her bedside table. He opens it with clumsy fingers,      faintly guilty about going through his wife's purse. It feels      private. But this is an emergency. He dumps the contents onto the      middle of their neatly made bed. Her wallet is there, her change      purse, lipstick, pen, a tissue packet-it's all there. Not an      errand then. Maybe she stepped out to help a friend? An emergency      of some kind? Still, she would have taken her purse with her if      she was driving the car. And wouldn't she have called him by now      if she could? She could borrow someone else's phone. It's not like      her to be thoughtless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom sits on the edge of the bed, quietly unraveling. His heart is      beating too fast. Something is wrong. He thinks that maybe he      should call the police. He considers how that might go. My wife      went out and I don't know where she is. She left without her phone      and her purse. She forgot to lock the door. It's completely unlike      her. They probably won't take him seriously if she's been gone      such a short time. He hasn't seen any sign of a struggle. Nothing      is out of place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Suddenly he gets up off the bed and rapidly searches the entire      house. But he finds nothing alarming–no phone knocked off the      hook, no broken window, no smear of blood on the floor. Even so,      he's breathing as anxiously as if he had.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He hesitates. Perhaps the police will think they've had an      argument. It won't matter if he tells them there was no argument,      if he tells them they almost never argue. That theirs is an almost      perfect marriage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead of calling the police, he runs back into the kitchen,      where Karen keeps a list of phone numbers, and starts calling her      friends.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Looking at the wreckage in front of him, Officer Kirton shakes his      head in resignation. People and cars. He's seen things to make his      stomach empty itself on the spot. It wasn't that bad this time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There'd been no identification on the crash victim, a woman,      probably early thirties. No purse, no wallet. But the vehicle      registration and insurance had been in the glove compartment. The      car is registered to a Karen Krupp, at 24 Dogwood Drive. She'll      have some explaining to do. And some charges to face. For now,      she's been taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As far as he can figure, and according to witnesses, she was      traveling like a bat out of hell. She ran a red light and smashed      the red Honda Civic right into a pole. It's a miracle no one else      was hurt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She was probably high, Kirton thinks. They would get a tox screen      on her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He wonders if the car was stolen. Easy enough to find out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Thing was, she didn't look like a car thief or a druggie. She      looked like a housewife. As far as he could tell through all that      blood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom Krupp has called the people he knows Karen sees most often. If      they don't know where she might be, then he isn't waiting any      longer. He's calling the police.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His hand trembles as he picks up the phone again. He feels sick      with fear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A voice comes on the line, \"911. Where's your emergency?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As soon as he opens the door and sees the cop on his doorstep, his      face serious, Tom knows something very bad has happened. He is      filled with a nauseating dread.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm Officer Fleming,\" the cop says, showing his badge. \"May I      come in?\" he asks respectfully, in a low voice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You got here fast,\" Tom says. \"I just called 911 a few minutes      ago.\" He feels as if he might be going into shock.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm not here because of a 911 call,\" the officer says.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom leads him into the living room and collapses onto the large      white sofa as if his legs have given out, not looking at the      officer's face. He wants to delay the moment of truth for as long      as possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But that moment has come. He finds that he can hardly breathe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Put your head down,\" Officer Fleming says, and places his hand      gently on Tom's shoulder.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tom leans his head toward his lap, feeling like he's going to pass      out. He fears that his world is coming to an end. After a moment      he looks up. He has no idea what's coming next, but he knows it      can't be good.","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300705915109,"sku":"NP9780735221130","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780735221130.jpg?v=1767720826","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/a-stranger-in-the-house-isbn-9780735221130","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}