cover image The Perfect Witness

The Perfect Witness

Iris Johansen. St. Martin's, $27.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-250-02005-5

At the start of this thrilling novel of paranormal suspense from bestseller Johansen (Shadow Zone), 16-year-old Teresa Casali, the daughter of the head of the New Jersey Mafia, who was gunned down three weeks earlier, is running for her life through a forest after being shot. A mysterious man, Andre Mandak, comes to her rescue. Teresa reluctantly agrees to let Mandak provide her with a new life and identity as Allie Girard. While Allie realizes that Mandak wants something in return for saving her, she also knows that he understands her ability to read people's memories, a skill that her late father often exploited. Fast forward seven years when Allie is living with a new family and enjoying a relatively normal life as a college student. When disaster strikes and her cover is blown, Allie must once again rely on Mandak, who reveals the task for which he needs her special talents. This page-turner builds to a breathless conclusion. Agent: Andrea Cirillo, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Sept.)