I love a good anti-heroine. Polly is not quite Amy Dunne, but she's cool and collected and knows how to get exactly what she wants. She's a planner, and she has the patience to wait as long as it will take for her prize. SUNBURN is a delicious noir novel that is plotted perfectly, revealing little by little about Polly and the private detective named Adam who starts to get a little too close. Just delicious. The mysteries within are great, and the high tension throughout the book paid off in the end--it's rare for me to be satisfied by a thriller, but here we are.

This page turner was also wonderful on audiobook, and left me with my mouth agape in public places more than once. There was just one bit that dragged a little, but in retrospect I think it was necessary. Susan Bennett has a great voice that inhabits the highwire suspense and quiet purrs of the novel superbly. As the audiobook ended, I wanted to clap--but I'm not sure if it was for Lippman's masterful story, Bennett's narration, or the character of Polly herself. Most likely, it would be for all three.

Definitely recommend on audiobook, though the print book is probably just as taut. It's more of a summer read, though I felt the flames of that small town in Delaware even in the dead of winter.