Sunburn, a 2018 crime fiction novel by Laura Lippman, chronicles a steamy, shadowy affair that unfolds over the course of one summer. In 1996, Pauline Costello and Adam Bosk cross paths at a bar in the sleepy town of Belleville, Delaware. Both insist they’re just passing through—Pauline is running from her past and can’t afford to waste time, Adam has a job to do and will be gone the second it’s finished—but once they meet, neither can ignore the chemistry coursing between them. Days turn into weeks, and neither Pauline nor Adam have left town; their flirtation turns into a full-blown romance, and the mysterious couple starts to put down roots. The only problem is, both are keeping dangerous secrets from each other, secrets that eventually lead to someone’s death. Was it fate that led Pauline and Adam, two recluses who seem to have outsmarted the world, to find each other? Or is this romance all part of the plan… and if it is, who is playing whom?

Suspenseful, surprising, and sexy, Sunburn is an example of a crime fiction master at work. I loved the simmering pace of the novel; although I was consistently engrossed, I never felt the need to flip ahead to the ending—as I do with some thrillers—and I think it’s because Lippman makes the journey as satisfying as the conclusion. Her writing has this cool, unrushed quality, and she reveals answers little by little so that the reader doesn’t hit boiling point too soon. Plus, the characters are nuanced, empathetic, and strangely endearing which made me want to settle into the story even more; Pauline and Adam both do some highly questionable things, but I still found myself rooting for their success. Most of the suspense in the novel comes from the dual unreliable narrators, and I found it fascinating to watch a game of cat and mouse play out in which the roles of cat and mouse were kept blurry and unfixed. I only wish I had saved this book for the summer because it would be the perfect beach read! Sunburn is a twisting, rewarding thriller, and I absolutely loved it.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone interested in dark, sophisticated thrillers with a strong female protagonist… it’s similar in style to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• Anyone who loves when romance, crime, and detective work get all tangled up… it’s similar in theme to the movie The Thomas Crown Affair
• Anyone in the mood for something scintillating and unsettling… it’s similar in tone to Still Life by Louise Penny