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Books

Grove Press
Atlantic Monthly Press
Atlantic Monthly Press

Takes One to Know One

by Susan Isaacs

In this whip-smart suburban mystery from New York Times bestselling author Susan Isaacs, a retired FBI agent turned Long Island housewife taps into her investigative past when she begins to suspect that her neighbor is harboring criminal secrets.

  • Imprint Grove Paperback
  • Page Count 368
  • Publication Date August 18, 2020
  • ISBN-13 978-0-8021-4941-1
  • Dimensions 5.5" x 8.25"
  • US List Price $18.00
  • Imprint Atlantic Monthly Press
  • Page Count 368
  • Publication Date October 01, 2019
  • ISBN-13 978-0-8021-4755-4
  • Dimensions 6" x 9"
  • US List Price $26.00
  • Imprint Atlantic Monthly Press
  • Publication Date October 01, 2019
  • ISBN-13 978-0-8021-4756-1
  • US List Price $26.00

About the Book

Just a few years ago, Corie Geller was busting terrorists as an agent for the FBI. But at thirty-five, she traded in her badge for the stability of marriage and motherhood. Now Corie is married to the brilliant and remarkably handsome Judge Josh Geller and is the adoptive mother of his lovely 14-year-old daughter. Between cooking meals and playing chauffeur, Corie scouts Arabic fiction for a few literary agencies and, on Wednesdays, has lunch with her fellow Shorehaven freelancers at a so-so French restaurant. Life is, as they say, fine.

But at her weekly lunches, Corie senses that something’s off. Pete Delaney, a milquetoast package designer, always shows up early, sits in the same spot (often with a different phone in hand), and keeps one eye on the Jeep he parks in the lot across the street. Corie intuitively feels that Pete is hiding something—and as someone who is accustomed to keeping her FBI past from her new neighbors, she should know. But does Pete really have a shady alternate life, or is Corie just imagining things, desperate to add some spark to her humdrum suburban existence? She decides that the only way to find out is to dust off her FBI toolkit and take a deep dive into Pete Delaney’s affairs.

Always sassy, smart, and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs is at her formidable best in a novel that is both bitingly wry and ominously thrilling.

Praise for Takes One to Know One

“Ms. Isaacs is a witty author, but comedy gives way to terror as Corie’s inevitable confrontation with her dangerous quarry nears. All the foreshadowing and presaging pays off in spades, and the scenes that tie up loose ends are a pleasure to read.”—Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal

“What is it that makes Susan Isaacs’ books so delicious to read? She’s funny, for starters. And that humor combined with romance and old-fashioned murder mystery tickles every feel-good bone in our bodies. Her characters are whole and flawed and lovable, and you want only the best for them, even as you ardently wish to find them in danger — repeatedly — along the way.”—New York Newsday

“There are so many layers — and thrilling twists and turns — that you won’t want to put it down.”—InTouch

“Isaacs has written numerous best-sellers, beginning with her debut, Compromising Positions, but this is her first full-length novel since 2012’s Goldberg Variations, and it’s a good one… Turns out, [ex-FBI agent turned suburbanite] Corie’s still got it, but it leads her straight into a deadly trap. Corie’s combat skills and investigative prowess are still up to snuff, but her snarky commentary and hilarious interactions with her father are the real page-turners here.”—Booklist 

“[A] stylish beach read… [with] vibrant characters, snappy dialogue, and an arresting first-person narrative.”—Publishers Weekly

“Isaacs’ writing is clever and funny, with laugh-out-loud moments and strong character development… Highly recommended for anyone who likes fast-paced storytelling, quirky and interesting characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing right along with the protagonist.”—New York Journal of Books

“Isaacs’s latest suburban novel starts out as a low-key story of a wife looking for a diversionary project for herself and her father, a retired cop, then escalates into action requiring all of her skills as a trained FBI agent. For fans of Kate White and the movie True Lies.”Library Journal

Praise for Susan Isaacs

“Nobody does smart, gutsy, funny, sexy women better than Susan Isaacs.” Washington Post

“I can think of no other novelist—popular or highbrow—who consistently celebrates female gutsiness, brains and sexuality. She’s Jane Austen with a schmear.” —NPR’s “Fresh Air”

“[Susan Isaacs is] a witty, wry observer of contemporary life.” New York Times Book Review

“The women who inhabit Isaacs’ books are smart, sexy, a little snarky, and filled with some serious chutzpah.” —Rachel Martin, NPR’s “Weekend Edition”

“A master of the genre.”O, the Oprah Magazine

“Issacs is a master of witty fiction with an undercurrent of emotional truth.”USA Today

“Always sassy, smart and wickedly witty, Susan Isaacs’ novel is both hilariously funny and a moving tale of family, faith and reconciliation.” —Book of the Month club

“[A]smart-alecky whodunit/surprisingly sweet love story…Isaacs brings it all together in this fast and furious ride through wanton greed, fragile relationships, and love worth fighting for.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on As Husbands Go

“Isaacs does it again: skewering the pretensions of upscale suburbanites and in a tender, funny romance.”—Kirkus (starred review) of Long Time No See

“Isaacs delivers witty, wicked satire from begining to end.” —Entertainment Weekly

“I love [Susan Isaacs]… I don’t think she’s ever written a heroine I wouldn’t want to be friends with. And I think she’s really brilliant in a Jane Austen way about social strata and place. She nails all the details.”—Jennifer Weiner, Miami Herald

“Biting and funny.”—New York Daily News