Goldilocks (A Matthew Hope Mystery Book 1)

Goldilocks, the other woman. She didn't have to be a blonde; she could have had hair as black as midnight and eyes as pale as alabaster. But she would always be Goldilocks, stealing into your home and taking what she wanted as her own.

Late one night, Jamie Purchase enters his home to find the bloodless bodies of his wife and two daughters. It was no secret that Jamie's ex-wife, Betty, hated the new wife - Goldilocks, as she had called her, and the name stuck. But could Betty hate Jamie's new family enough to slaughter them?

Lawyer Matthew Hope can believe it. He's seen his fair share of heartache and deception, but he knows better than most that Goldilocks only wanders in when you've left the door wide open. And when that happens, everyone's to blame. Now, Hope must immerse himself in a family drama too close to home in order to find a cold-blooded killer.

From the thrilling Matthew Hope series, Ed McBain's Goldilocks tests black-and-white morals and finds that we're all a little platinum blonde. The story follows a tragic incident where Jamie Purchase returns home to a horrific scene - the lifeless bodies of his wife and children. Suspicion immediately falls on his ex-wife, Betty, who had expressed strong disdain for the new woman in Jamie's life, the Goldilocks-like figure.

Lawyer Matthew Hope, a seasoned professional familiar with the complexities of human nature, is tasked with unraveling the mystery. He understands that the lines between good and evil are often blurred, and that we all possess a touch of the "platinum blonde" - a mix of light and dark, of virtue and vice. As he delves deeper into the case, Hope realizes that the truth may not be as straightforward as it seems, and that the answers lie in the intricate web of family dynamics and the capacity for both love and hatred.

Through this gripping narrative, McBain challenges the readers to question their own preconceptions and to consider the shades of gray that exist in the human experience. The story's central figure, Goldilocks, becomes a symbol of the complexity of the human condition, a reminder that we all have the potential to stray from the path of righteousness, given the right circumstances.

As Hope navigates the emotional minefield of this family drama, he must confront his own biases and assumptions, ultimately finding that the path to justice is not a straight line, but a winding road that requires empathy, understanding, and a willingness to see the world through different lenses. In the end, the reader is left with a deeper appreciation for the nuances of human behavior and the importance of embracing the shades of gray that define our shared existence.

product information: