What Happens When a Parent Goes Mad?

By Suzi Brozman – Photo by Jan Cobb – Laura Lippman

That headline isn’t a personal confession. It’s the topic of Laura Lippman’s newest murder mystery, “Hush Hush,” featuring for the 12th time Tess Monaghan exerting her intellect in the pursuit of justice.

Years earlier, a wealthy, charismatic mother was acquitted of killing her infant daughter on the grounds of post-partum psychosis. Who among us hasn’t been outraged by a court ruling on temporary insanity and its long-term implications?

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Now the fictional mother has emerged from hiding to reunite with her surviving children. She wants her life back and her story told. Personal investigator Tess Monaghan has been assigned to assess the situation.

Who’s the stalker, who’s being stalked, and why? Lippman has a rare ability to interweave dialogue, action, comedy and horror into a book you can’t put down. It’s no wonder she’s a perennial New York Times best-selling author.

For an opportunity to learn how this prolific author constructs her stories, attend the Marcus JCC’s Page From the Book Festival event Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for center members, $15 for others, and are available at the JCC box office, through 678-812-4002 and at atlantajcc.org/book festival.