Full Stop

Joan Smith's Loretta Lawson mysteries have been praised by The Washington Post as a "charming combination of sophistication, wit and unpretentious learning," and by Elle magazine as "refreshing." A brilliant British feminist, Loretta Lawson has faced many a challenge in her amateur sleuthing career, but nothing that could have prepared her for this surreal adventure on the other side of the Atlantic.
Loretta Lawson is already a little apprehensive about spending a hot, muggy weekend alone in New York City at her friend Toni's apartment. And it seems her fears are confirmed when she receives a series of mysterious and threatening phone calls. What's more, as she explores the exciting, unfamiliar city, she has the uneasy impression that someone is watching her, perhaps even following her. As much as Loretta would like to enjoy a carefree holiday, there are other incidents she can't easily dismiss: unsettling encounters in museums and stores, and the frightening fact that someone has been trying to sneak upstairs to her apartment. Is Loretta the target of these unnerving attentions or are they aimed at Toni?
Loretta begins to think that she cannot trust her own judgment; the one person who might lend a hand--her ex-husband, journalist John Tracey, also in New York on a story--has too many problems of his own to help. In the end, Loretta must face the terrifying events that unfold alone. . . .
Full Stop is a chilling story about pursuit, about being alone in a strange city where every news bulletin reports another violent crime, about the fine line between danger and paranoia. Challenging, witty, and disturbing, it is Joan Smith's most sophisticated and suspense-packed novel to date.