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Lily Moore Mystery #1
Le Mal que tu m'as fait
Winner of the Anthony Award for Best First Novel
Lily Moore, a successful travel writer, fled to Spain to get away from her troubled, drug-addicted younger sister, Claudia. But when Claudia is found dead in a bathtub on the anniversary of their mother’s suicide, Lily must return to New York to deal with the aftermath.
The situation shifts from tragic to baffling when the body at the morgue turns out to be a stranger’s. The dead woman had been using Claudia’s identity for months. The real Claudia had vanished, reappearing briefly on the day her impostor died. As Claudia transforms from victim to suspect in the eyes of the police, Lily becomes determined to find her before they do.
Is Claudia actually missing, or is she playing an elaborate con game? And who’s responsible for the body that was found in the bathtub? An obsessive ex-lover? An emotionally disturbed young man with a rich and powerful father? Or Lily’s own former fiancé, who turns out to be more deeply involved with Claudia than he admits?
As Lily searches for answers, a shadowy figure stalks her and the danger to her grows. Determined to learn the truth at any cost, she is unprepared for the terrible toll it will take on her and those she loves.
Lily Moore, a successful travel writer, fled to Spain to get away from her troubled, drug-addicted younger sister, Claudia. But when Claudia is found dead in a bathtub on the anniversary of their mother’s suicide, Lily must return to New York to deal with the aftermath.
The situation shifts from tragic to baffling when the body at the morgue turns out to be a stranger’s. The dead woman had been using Claudia’s identity for months. The real Claudia had vanished, reappearing briefly on the day her impostor died. As Claudia transforms from victim to suspect in the eyes of the police, Lily becomes determined to find her before they do.
Is Claudia actually missing, or is she playing an elaborate con game? And who’s responsible for the body that was found in the bathtub? An obsessive ex-lover? An emotionally disturbed young man with a rich and powerful father? Or Lily’s own former fiancé, who turns out to be more deeply involved with Claudia than he admits?
As Lily searches for answers, a shadowy figure stalks her and the danger to her grows. Determined to learn the truth at any cost, she is unprepared for the terrible toll it will take on her and those she loves.
499 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2010
33 people are currently reading
1103 people want to read
About the author
Hilary Davidson
66 books580 followersHilary Davidson was a journalist before she turned to the dark side and started writing crime fiction. Her novels include the award-winning Lily Moore series—The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises—the bestselling Shadows of New York series—One Small Sacrifice and Don’t Look Down—and the standalone novels Blood Always Tells and Her Last Breath (coming in July 2021). She is also the author of some fifty short stories. Her fiction has won two Anthony Awards, a Derringer Award, and a host of other accolades. Toronto born and raised, she moved to New York City in October 2001. She is also the author of 18 nonfiction books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
March 16, 2021
★★1/2
I was really impressed by Hilary Davidson's work after reading her suspenseful and surprising novel, Blood Always Tells, and her short story collection, The Black Widow Club. She's got a real knack for crafting twisty thrillers and her work is objectively entertaining. But this debut novel, the one that put her on the map, was a bit of a disappointment. And not because of her lack of talent. Some of it is because of my recent aversion to the repetitiveness inherent in standard mystery/detective novels. But much of it is also because it just got so damned boring. The stakes seem very low through most of this book, as we follow travel writer and expatriate Lily Moore as she returns to New York City to find out who murdered her sister.
I normally gravitate toward elevated tension and high stakes, so reading about Lily wandering around asking people questions about her sister didn't really do it for me. For most of the book there's not much danger or even much intrigue, and I kept questioning why I was even reading it, unlike the other work that I've read from her, which was much more engaging. But this award-winning work was a relative hit so it might just be my taste at the moment. Davidson is still one of the better thriller writers around right now, so I'll chalk this one up to taste and possible freshman quality.
I was really impressed by Hilary Davidson's work after reading her suspenseful and surprising novel, Blood Always Tells, and her short story collection, The Black Widow Club. She's got a real knack for crafting twisty thrillers and her work is objectively entertaining. But this debut novel, the one that put her on the map, was a bit of a disappointment. And not because of her lack of talent. Some of it is because of my recent aversion to the repetitiveness inherent in standard mystery/detective novels. But much of it is also because it just got so damned boring. The stakes seem very low through most of this book, as we follow travel writer and expatriate Lily Moore as she returns to New York City to find out who murdered her sister.
I normally gravitate toward elevated tension and high stakes, so reading about Lily wandering around asking people questions about her sister didn't really do it for me. For most of the book there's not much danger or even much intrigue, and I kept questioning why I was even reading it, unlike the other work that I've read from her, which was much more engaging. But this award-winning work was a relative hit so it might just be my taste at the moment. Davidson is still one of the better thriller writers around right now, so I'll chalk this one up to taste and possible freshman quality.
March 14, 2012
Wow. A Crime novel and a debut work that was not only good, but crosses the line into great. Actually, "debut" isn't exactly accurate because Davidson has written non-fiction books, articles and short stories galore. And I'm hooked enough to want to go back and read them all. Seriously, if she can transport me to one of the places she wrote travel guides for like she transported me to New York and the worlds of Lily and Claudia, sign me up.
Here is a story about fractured families, emotional ties, addictions and love. Here is a mystery, deep and dark, ferreted out by determination. The characters are strong and well developed. Even the gay best friend didn't put me off as it does in so many stories, because the depiction of the characters and their interactions were so very visceral. It is not my world, but it is an entirely believable one, thanks to the skill and carafsmanship of Davidson. And I willingly travelled with Lily through the murky worlds of addiction and dependency as she tried to discover what happened to her baby sister.
My only unanswered question for all the loose ends is what is Bruxton's first name. I've gone through the list in my head and I just don't see him as a Cary, Fred, Humphrey, Clark, Errol, Jimmy, Randolph or even a Buster. This will take some thought.
I am so looking forward to Hilary Davidson's next book. This one is due out October 2010 through Forge.
Thanks to my friend Maria for the advanced read on this.
Here is a story about fractured families, emotional ties, addictions and love. Here is a mystery, deep and dark, ferreted out by determination. The characters are strong and well developed. Even the gay best friend didn't put me off as it does in so many stories, because the depiction of the characters and their interactions were so very visceral. It is not my world, but it is an entirely believable one, thanks to the skill and carafsmanship of Davidson. And I willingly travelled with Lily through the murky worlds of addiction and dependency as she tried to discover what happened to her baby sister.
My only unanswered question for all the loose ends is what is Bruxton's first name. I've gone through the list in my head and I just don't see him as a Cary, Fred, Humphrey, Clark, Errol, Jimmy, Randolph or even a Buster. This will take some thought.
I am so looking forward to Hilary Davidson's next book. This one is due out October 2010 through Forge.
Thanks to my friend Maria for the advanced read on this.
September 25, 2011
Great debut novel. And from all the awards that THE DAMAGE DONE is getting, I'm not the only one who thinks this. Strong characterization, plotting, and dialogue. In fact, much of the story is told through dialogue, so the necessity for it to sing is essential for its effectiveness. And Davidson nails it.
The real strength of the story is Davidson's ability from the outset to defy convention. By not centering on the police, but making the "investigator" a relative, the story feels very personal, grounded, and offers a vulnerability that is so often missing from crime fiction.
In stories involving P.I.s and cops, the writer always has to eventually bend over backwards to find a way to make it personal. Simply because the initial reason that they have come in contact with the crime is that they are paid. The impersonal must become personal for the story to sustain.
By making the story personal out of the gate, Davidson doesn't have to get clever with the character, but rather can use her cleverness for the complex story that reveals itself in the reading.
From her short stories, it wasn't what I expected. But screw expectations, this is a great book.
The real strength of the story is Davidson's ability from the outset to defy convention. By not centering on the police, but making the "investigator" a relative, the story feels very personal, grounded, and offers a vulnerability that is so often missing from crime fiction.
In stories involving P.I.s and cops, the writer always has to eventually bend over backwards to find a way to make it personal. Simply because the initial reason that they have come in contact with the crime is that they are paid. The impersonal must become personal for the story to sustain.
By making the story personal out of the gate, Davidson doesn't have to get clever with the character, but rather can use her cleverness for the complex story that reveals itself in the reading.
From her short stories, it wasn't what I expected. But screw expectations, this is a great book.
January 28, 2019
This is a humdinger of a debut novel. I enjoyed reading about the complex protagonist, a traveler writer living in Spain who returns to her New York City apartment to find her sister, a drug addict, has been killed there. Or so it seems. The unexpected twists and turns add to the fun of unraveling the murder mystery.
September 29, 2011
Lily is a travel writer who escaped to Spain leaving behind her sister, Claudia, an on again/off again (mostly on) drug addict, as well as a hovering, grasping fiance, Martin. She has been paying the rent on her New York apartment so that her sister wouldn't have to live on the streets. Claudia is the only relative she has. Both of their parents committed suicide. By the time Lily was in college and Claudia still in high school, both of their parents were gone. After a very long absence she returns when she is informed by the police that her sister is dead. However when she finally gets to see the body, she is shocked and appalled because the body is not Claudia. This is an interesting book with a lot of twists and turns. I wasn't sure how it was going to come together. The author doesn't disappoint. The solution isn't obvious. This is a book that could be turned into a really good film if someone was willing to do it right. The author has been an author of travel books as well as short crime fiction stories that were very well received. This is her first crime fiction novel. Hopefully, she'll write many more.
February 11, 2011
The Damage Done is one of those rare books that succeeds on every level.
Emotionally, I was grabbed from the very beginning. Lily, the first person protagonist, is a person I would want to know. She is smart, insightful, and compassionate beyond belief. She's also fun to spend time with - she has quirks and flaws that make her human. I'd love to get drunk with her one night.
The plot is rich with complexity and layers and false identity, but somehow - a testament to the genius writing, perhaps - I was never once confused.
The side characters are all fleshed-out brilliantly - I could see them, I could sympathize with them, I was interested in their lives beyond the pages. My favorite character (aside from Lily) was Tariq. No idea why - he can be a bit of a jerk - but I'd love to see him come back in future books.
I am stunned that this is Hilary's debut novel. If this is her starting point, I can only imagine how strong a writer she will become. I look eagerly forward to reading The Next One To Fall, her 2nd crime novel, which is due out later this year.
Emotionally, I was grabbed from the very beginning. Lily, the first person protagonist, is a person I would want to know. She is smart, insightful, and compassionate beyond belief. She's also fun to spend time with - she has quirks and flaws that make her human. I'd love to get drunk with her one night.
The plot is rich with complexity and layers and false identity, but somehow - a testament to the genius writing, perhaps - I was never once confused.
The side characters are all fleshed-out brilliantly - I could see them, I could sympathize with them, I was interested in their lives beyond the pages. My favorite character (aside from Lily) was Tariq. No idea why - he can be a bit of a jerk - but I'd love to see him come back in future books.
I am stunned that this is Hilary's debut novel. If this is her starting point, I can only imagine how strong a writer she will become. I look eagerly forward to reading The Next One To Fall, her 2nd crime novel, which is due out later this year.
October 23, 2011
I really enjoyed this riveting, twisty mystery/thriller, which has one of the most fascinating assortments of complex characters, including many of dubious repute, I've come across lately. I tend to go for complicated plots that involve mistaken identities and the like, so this was just my cuppa tea. I did have one favorite person, Lily's good friend Jesse, who is the most sensible, stable, and good-humored of the cast of characters. I thought it was fun the way he likened Lily to Miss Marple. This is a wonderful debut, and I'm looking forward to reading future books by Hilary Davidson.
December 24, 2010
Oh, what a deliciously tangled web of circumstances does author Hilary Davidson weave in her masterful debut, The Damage Done.
Travel writer Lily Moore is called home to New York from Spain with the horrible news that her sister, Claudia, has been found dead in the apartment they share. Even worse, Claudia’s death appears to be a suicide, tragically timed to coincide with the anniversary of their mother’s suicide. Given she had fled to Spain in large part to get away from the downward spiral that had become her heroin addict sister’s life, Lily returns home under a shroud of guilt. Could she have prevented her sister’s death if she had been there?
Lily’s grief quickly turns to confusion, however, when upon going to the medical examiner’s office to officially identify Claudia’s body she discovers the person found dead in their apartment was not her sister. Someone had been impersonating Claudia and living as her for the past six months. But who, and why? And where is Claudia?
Lily’s quest to find the answers to those questions forms the framework for one of the most tantalizing, twisted, multilayered pieces of crime fiction I’ve read in quite some time. Like her protagonist, Hilary Davidson’s background is that of a travel writer, and the experiences she has had traveling the globe to varied cultures and locales clearly shine through in the wonderfully nuanced descriptions of both people and places that permeate The Damage Done.
Davidson has populated her tale with a cast worthy of an old school Hitchcock film: Lily’s overly attentive ex-fiancé and real-estate tycoon Martin Sklar; Claudia’s former lover Tariq Lawrence, a mysterious and extremely wealthy man; Lily’s fiercely loyal, and funny, best friend Jesse; the two detectives who vacillate between thinking Claudia is a victim or a suspect. Every player is so well defined you practically expect them to walk off the page.
In fact, The Damage Done is such a stunning debut it almost defies belief that this is Davidson’s first novel. The self-assurance with which she writes is breathtaking in its brazenness. Davidson doesn’t knock on the door, wait to be invited in, then politely ask you to read her book. No, she kicks that sucker down, makes herself right at home, and dares you to deal with the Damage. And it’s a dare you should readily accept, but you best be prepared to keep up because Davidson is going places, and she’s got no time to waste with anyone who’s not down with her beautiful brand of madness.
Travel writer Lily Moore is called home to New York from Spain with the horrible news that her sister, Claudia, has been found dead in the apartment they share. Even worse, Claudia’s death appears to be a suicide, tragically timed to coincide with the anniversary of their mother’s suicide. Given she had fled to Spain in large part to get away from the downward spiral that had become her heroin addict sister’s life, Lily returns home under a shroud of guilt. Could she have prevented her sister’s death if she had been there?
Lily’s grief quickly turns to confusion, however, when upon going to the medical examiner’s office to officially identify Claudia’s body she discovers the person found dead in their apartment was not her sister. Someone had been impersonating Claudia and living as her for the past six months. But who, and why? And where is Claudia?
Lily’s quest to find the answers to those questions forms the framework for one of the most tantalizing, twisted, multilayered pieces of crime fiction I’ve read in quite some time. Like her protagonist, Hilary Davidson’s background is that of a travel writer, and the experiences she has had traveling the globe to varied cultures and locales clearly shine through in the wonderfully nuanced descriptions of both people and places that permeate The Damage Done.
Davidson has populated her tale with a cast worthy of an old school Hitchcock film: Lily’s overly attentive ex-fiancé and real-estate tycoon Martin Sklar; Claudia’s former lover Tariq Lawrence, a mysterious and extremely wealthy man; Lily’s fiercely loyal, and funny, best friend Jesse; the two detectives who vacillate between thinking Claudia is a victim or a suspect. Every player is so well defined you practically expect them to walk off the page.
In fact, The Damage Done is such a stunning debut it almost defies belief that this is Davidson’s first novel. The self-assurance with which she writes is breathtaking in its brazenness. Davidson doesn’t knock on the door, wait to be invited in, then politely ask you to read her book. No, she kicks that sucker down, makes herself right at home, and dares you to deal with the Damage. And it’s a dare you should readily accept, but you best be prepared to keep up because Davidson is going places, and she’s got no time to waste with anyone who’s not down with her beautiful brand of madness.
February 7, 2012
This was the first novel by Hilary Davidson and I was lucky enough to win a copy from Good Reads. It was interesting how she discussed the complexity of the relationship between the two sisters. The older sister, Lily Moore, did almost everything right and was a successful writer living abroad. The younger sister, Claudia, was a heroin addict and had tried to get off drugs many times. Lily feels protective of her younger sister even though she gets exasperated with her over her failure to rid herself of the drugs. Claudia feels that Lily is too rigid and needs to let go. When Lily gets a call that Claudia was found dead in her apartment, Lily flies home. But, at the morgue, the body is not Claudia. Who is the dead woman and where is Claudia?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read Davidson's second novel coming out this month. The preview at the end of The Damage Done has Lily and her friend Jesse in Peru where they hear raised voices and find a woman's body.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read Davidson's second novel coming out this month. The preview at the end of The Damage Done has Lily and her friend Jesse in Peru where they hear raised voices and find a woman's body.
May 16, 2012
I read about Davidson's second book, The Next One to Fall, and thought it sounded interesting so ordered the first in the series, The Damage Done. I am glad that I did. Lily Moore, a travel journalist, like Davidson, returns from Spain to New York City in search of her troubled drug addicted sister and the pages start turning, twisting, and turning. This is one of those books that you can and will want to read in one sitting, as the pace moves quickly and coherently. The character of Lily and her best friend Jesse are promising and believable personalities that are worth getting to know in future adventures. Next is Machu Picchu with Lily and Jesse and I am looking forward to archair travelling along. This is a fresh and interesting formula with the travel writing and adventure and I can't wait to see where Davidson takes us.
November 19, 2013
Well, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. It managed to hold my interest -- barely -- but I didn't find myself yearning to get back to it. I found it hard to envision the missing sister, Claudia, as being held in such high esteem by her lovers, ex-lovers, friends, etc. in fact, all but her sister, Lily, our protagonist, seemed to be madly in love with her. Well, almost all. Claudia was a heroin addict. Call me biased against druggies, which is true, but it appears to me that these are folks who are only focused on their next score, only thinking of themselves, because that is what addiction does to you. So when the whole focus of the book is to find this missing sister, well, I just don't get it. This book didn't draw me in, didn't make me emotionally involved in wanting to find her. I just didn't care enough if she was found or not.
May 12, 2012
Hard to believe this is a first novel. I found the plot to be seamless,each plot point follows logically on its predecessor and we do not have the last minute reveal of a pertinent plot point to tie things together. The characters well developed, intriguing flawed but believable, nor does Ms. Davidson fall back on cliche though I must confess for a desire to have Lily, our heroine, and Bruxton, our tough detective, hook up it wouldn't have been true to the story in this case. I hope the author has another book in the works as I cannot wait for another "good read". Definitely recommended
February 22, 2013
Loved this book!!!!! A must read for everyone...
This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. So refreshing to read a story line that wasn’t predictable and kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the very last page. So many twists and turns throughout that you feel like you are right beside Lily on her journey. I can not wait to read “The Next One to Fall”.
This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. So refreshing to read a story line that wasn’t predictable and kept me on the edge of my seat right up until the very last page. So many twists and turns throughout that you feel like you are right beside Lily on her journey. I can not wait to read “The Next One to Fall”.
September 9, 2011
Excellent . . .a page turner. I enjoyed the flawed heroine and the cop Bruxton (a pit bull disguised as a man). Interesting plot twists. Recommended!
May 2, 2021
This book starts out with an interesting premise. Lily Moore has been living in Spain for over a year. She went there ostensibly on an assignment as a travel writer. But she had wanted to escape her New York life. Her engagement to a rich and powerful man had ended over his infidelity. Even worse, her drug addict sister was impossible to live with. Lily had invited Claudia to stay in her apartment after a near-fatal overdose. Lily continued to pay the rent while living abroad. However, she received a phone call from a New York police officer to notify her that Claudia had been found dead in her bathtub. Lily flew back home to identify the body. She was convinced that Claudia must have overdosed before drowning. She went to the morgue and was shocked to discover that the deceased person was not her sister. Lily had never seen the woman before. Lily is determined to find her missing sister and wants to know who had been living in her apartment and using Claudia's identity. Two overly involved detectives are also on the case. As is Claudia's wealthy former boyfriend. And a private detective. And the helpful new neighbor who had discovered the dead woman. Lily follows one lead after another but all of them seem to be dead ends. The closer that she gets to discovering the truth, the more she puts her own life in danger. This is apparently the first book in a trilogy but I don't care to read the rest of the series. Too many cliched characters and an overly twisty plot turned me off.
July 3, 2022
A solid debut novel with a complex, definitely flawed main character who obsessed a bit too much for my taste about her sister's mysterious death/disappearance. (We don't know until near the end). I didn't identity with many of the characters even though they were complex enough and believable (not stereotypes).
My main concern was a wandering plot and a muddled middle that lost pace and lessened the tension. Lots of conversations interspersed with little to no action/advancement of the plot. Understandable in that the MC, Lily, isn't a cop, just a woman trying to find out what happened to her sister and taking a proactive approach. But her bouncing around from suspect to suspect implied that the police weren't doing anything to solve the case.
If you're into unique female protagonists/amateur sleuths, you'll probably like this book. I couldn't find a lot wrong with it, but it didn't hold my interest as much as other debuts.
My main concern was a wandering plot and a muddled middle that lost pace and lessened the tension. Lots of conversations interspersed with little to no action/advancement of the plot. Understandable in that the MC, Lily, isn't a cop, just a woman trying to find out what happened to her sister and taking a proactive approach. But her bouncing around from suspect to suspect implied that the police weren't doing anything to solve the case.
If you're into unique female protagonists/amateur sleuths, you'll probably like this book. I couldn't find a lot wrong with it, but it didn't hold my interest as much as other debuts.
March 19, 2013
Last weekend while looking through the program at the Tucson Festival of Books, a description of Hilary Davidson caught my eye. She is a mystery writer who has had a career as a travel writer, and the protagonist of her Lily Moore series is - you guessed it - a travel writer. So I attended one of Hilary's panels and listened to her discuss the origins of her mysteries and various influences on the stories in each one. Having been a travel writer myself, I was hooked even before I bought "The Damage Done." Thankfully I was not disappointed when I finally read it (which I did in just a few days). The book opens with Lily returning to America from Spain to deal with her sister's suicide. But when she goes to identify the body, the dead woman turns out to be a stranger. From here a multi-layered mystery is peeled back one rapid-paced clue at a time. One of the things I liked about this book is how half the characters involved are either close to Lily or well-known to her; nearly every one contributes to both the reason the situation is so mysterious and at the same time, the mystery's solution. And Lily isn't playing amateur detective ... she's just trying to figure out what happened to her sister. Before I was even done I bought the next book in the series so I can follow Lily down to Peru where, yes, she finds herself once again searching for the answers to a murder, this one occurring at the ancient site of Machu Picchu.
November 3, 2014
My Review: After reading her latest book Blood Always Tells (which I really loved) I hate to admit that I was really disappointed with this book. There just wasn't the suspense or the interesting characters that Blood Always Tells had in spades. I kept waiting and hoping for a big plot twist but it never really came.
I also found the dialogue to be quite stale between the characters, many of whom came off as clichéd. From the gay best friend to the controlling boyfriend to the rich and highly powerful best friend of Claudia's who has a questionable past and interactions with nefarious characters. These were cookie cutter characters and didn't endear me to this book.
I just didn't feel invested in Lily's life and while the idea of her sister's death was interesting the twists just weren't that riveting. There were also a lot of characters and I kept getting a couple of the women mixed up. After awhile I stopped trying to figure out who was who and ended up forcing myself to finish the book basically because I thought the author would pull off a big twist at the end. Sadly there was no twist.
My Rating: 2/5 stars
** This book review, as well as hundreds more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I also share my favourite 'tried and true' recipes. **
I also found the dialogue to be quite stale between the characters, many of whom came off as clichéd. From the gay best friend to the controlling boyfriend to the rich and highly powerful best friend of Claudia's who has a questionable past and interactions with nefarious characters. These were cookie cutter characters and didn't endear me to this book.
I just didn't feel invested in Lily's life and while the idea of her sister's death was interesting the twists just weren't that riveting. There were also a lot of characters and I kept getting a couple of the women mixed up. After awhile I stopped trying to figure out who was who and ended up forcing myself to finish the book basically because I thought the author would pull off a big twist at the end. Sadly there was no twist.
My Rating: 2/5 stars
** This book review, as well as hundreds more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I also share my favourite 'tried and true' recipes. **
July 20, 2012
Superb. It has the lean grit of Lawrence Block's good novels and a sophisticated storyline that reminded me of European graphic novel Blake & Mortimer. It would make a great animation movie, I think. Lily's a well studied mix of a career-driven women and a scorned little girl looking for her family. Davidson is very subtle about that. It's all in the unsaid, in what Lily longs for and what she wants to hide to people. It's the kind of thing I like in a novel and Hilary Davidson does it very well. She exposes the double nature that lies in her protagonist. Jesse and Tariq are also a great support cast. This is destined to the big screen.
August 12, 2012
I liked this book which is a debut novel by Hilary Davidson. The lead character is a travel writer who has fled to Spain to avoid dealing with her drug-addicted sister. But family is family, and the latter is allowed to live in the travel agent's appartment in New York. One day the corpse of the sister is discovered in the apartment and the police contact the sister in Spain. She arrives in NYC and when asked to identify her sister, she tells the police that corpse is no one she recognizes.
And thus starts the reader on a long and twisted journey to figure out what'sactually taking place. I've entered the author's next book on my list of titles to be read.
And thus starts the reader on a long and twisted journey to figure out what'sactually taking place. I've entered the author's next book on my list of titles to be read.
October 15, 2012
Lily Moore is a travel writer, living in Spain, who returns to Manhattan after receiving the dreadful phone call that her sister has been found dead. Yet, when she views the body, it is not her sister. Who is it? And where is her sister? Beware: You won't be able to sleep, until you know!
I loved this book! I could not put it down....I kept telling myself "just one more chapter" I had to know what happended next and everytime I thought I knew what happened to Claudia, there was a twist! Lily Moore was such a well developed character that not only was I rooting for her, but I felt like it was me trudging through the dark, cold Manhattan streets looking for my sister.
I loved this book! I could not put it down....I kept telling myself "just one more chapter" I had to know what happended next and everytime I thought I knew what happened to Claudia, there was a twist! Lily Moore was such a well developed character that not only was I rooting for her, but I felt like it was me trudging through the dark, cold Manhattan streets looking for my sister.
March 10, 2011
I started this book on a Friday evening and finished 3am Saturday morning. I could not force myself to put it down! It is a smart modern mystery with an engaging woman protagonist and fast-paced twists and turns. I loved Davidson's multi-dimensional characters who all came with their own shadows, the descriptions of NYC, the touches of noir and the references to great old movies. THE DAMAGE DONE inhabits a dangerous world but one I'd love to visit again. I'll just have to start reading earlier in the day, so I can get some sleep!
July 18, 2012
Award winning (Best First Mystery, Anthony Awards, 2011) mystery. Travel writer Lily Moore is called home from Spain to New York City when her younger, drug-addicted sister is found dead on the anniversary of their mother's suicide. But the body in the morgue turns out to be an imposter who'd assumed Claudia's identity months before. Where is the real Claudia? Lily's search for her sister, aided and abetted by her best friend and two of New York's slighly rogue finest, leads her into many strange situations and conversations until she can't be sure who to trust. Engrossing.
September 7, 2011
Another Anthony nominee for best first novel. Lots of twists and turns in this one! Interesting characters. I really liked Lily, Tariq, the police, and Lily's friend...whose name escapes me who she stays with and helps her investigate. Set in NYC. Lots of information about drug addiction, but doesn't drag the story down. This is a page turner kind of book. There are maybe a few more twists than necessary. Recommended!
February 28, 2012
Hilary Davidson is the queen of the cliff hanger--I couldn't put this book down! It's a sizzling mystery with a very likable main character--a travel writer with a passion for solving the mystery surrounding her sister's death--snappy dialogue, a terrific sense of setting (gritty NYC) and a lot of well-developed secondary characters who add to the fun. Definitely a mystery writers whose series will be on my bookshelf--I just ordered her second novel.
July 9, 2011
An American travel writer living in Spain gets word that her sister has been found dead in her NYC apartment. When she goes to identify the body she finds it is not her sister. This raises the possibility that her sister is still alive especially since her sister, a drig addict has done some sensational things in the past to get attention and/or money. A first novel and a good effort.
October 19, 2010
Would probably have given this book 3 1/2 stars if that was an option. This is a first novel and it is very well written with well-rounded, interesting characters and a fairly fast moving plot. Looking forward to more from this novelist.
October 31, 2010
This is a complex and compelling debut novel in which a woman searches for her sister after a dead woman is found with her sister’s identity. The writing is smooth, the character is well developed, and the pace is nonstop. I highly recommend it.
January 22, 2012
This was a very well-written debut novel. The pace is fast without being frenetic, the plot is full of twists without being convoluted, and the characters were well developed. I'm looking forward to the author's next book.
February 21, 2012
This plot provided a twisting trail, with plenty of psychological teasers. Don't try to figure it out, it delivers what it promises—a great mystery and complex characters. Liked it a lot and buzzed through. It looks like there is a second book, which I will definitely track down.
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