Hush Hush: A Tess Monaghan Novel    by Laura Lippman Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2015 (2015) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Melisandre Harris Dawes chose a very hot day to sit by a river and watch the tumbling waters, while the two-month old daughter she left locked in her car slowly died! Found guilty of criminal insanity, she was institutionalized for years. Finally released, she fled to South Africa to her mother's home. Upon her mother's death, Melisandre returned to Baltimore, in order to seek to regain custody of her two surviving daughters. She had relinquished custody years ago and her ex-husband, now remarried with a small son, objects to her right to custody. Melisandre's lawyer had approached former reporter and private investigator Tess Monaghan to provide security for the woman. Not happy with the idea, Tess nevertheless takes on the work. Former P.D. homicide detective Sandy Sanchez, in partnership with Tess, plans the best security possible to keep Melisandre from the public eye. Other elements are at work here and the whole idea of regaining custody takes a back seat as Tess realizes she is being stalked! As with other novels by Laura Lippman, Hush Hush will keep you on the edge of your seat. Lippman takes ideas from everyday life and humanizes them. She carefully plots what if's and creates prize-winning novels. Any new mother can understand Melisandre – understand though not approve of her actions. Sympathy for the woman slowly melts into the reader's mind. This is but one fictional story of post-partum depression. The true stories of this condition are played out every day around the world. Hush Hush is another winner for Laura Lippman. What else could you expect with her name on the cover? Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews