Lee (née Lily) White is a defense lawyer practicing on Long Island. Into her life drifts Norman Torkelson, a career con man charged with strangling his latest mark. At first, the case seems open and shut. But just as Lee is resigning herself to a guilty verdict, she begins to have doubts. After all, what was Norman’s motive? Lee starts to wonder if her client is covering for the real killer, and in doing so, performing the first selfless act of his life. As the case unfolds, so does the story behind the story: Lee is a privileged child coming age on Long Island. Her parents are devoted to the pursuit of money and status. When Lee marries a scion of Long Island blue bloods, her life seems blessed. But is the sacrifice of her dreams worth the approval she garners from her parents?
>>Susan’s inspiration for Lily White.
On one level Isaacs has created a pitch-perfect social satire…on another…she has written a psychological thriller whose portraits of an amoral conman and his mate, of the dehumanizing effects of the prison system and of the state of criminal investigation are rendered with snappy authenticity.”— Publishers Weekly
A well-written, moving story that will keep the reader engrossed all the way.”— Miami Herald
Lily is a funny, nervy survivor of some major betrayals…one house guest you’ll wish could stay longer.”— Glamour
Not only an entertaining legal drama, but a chilling account of family scapegoating… Reading this smart, sassy book on the beach will be the very picture of civilization and its contents.”— NPR’s Fresh Air
Isaacs delivers witty, wicked satire from beginning to end.”— Entertainment Weekly
Lily White is a winner… with wit, insight, and enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning.”— Cleveland Plain Dealer
Shiny fun, jam-packed full of story.”— Atlanta Journal
Touching, funny, and fast-paced.”— St. Paul Pioneer Press
Stunning… [Isaacs] has created an ingenious novel that breaks out of the mystery genre. In fact, it sets the genre - in which, typically, the killer is brought to justice - on its ear.”— Cincinnati Post
A one-volume vacation reader.”— Los Angeles Times
The ingredients for another bestseller.”— Baltimore Sun
Riveting… Best of all is the character of Lee, smart and sassy… self-deluded at the same time. Her good-humored, self-knowing, self-mocking voice is a treat for the ear.”— Boston Globe
Her richest book yet.”— Newsday
Murder, sex, and humor make for a wickedly entertaining combination.”— People
A big, fat, happy feast of a book… [Isaacs’s] most confident and appealing… [She] is both funny and piercing, a highly satisfying combination.”— New York Times Book Review