Ripper - Isabel AllendeIsabel Allende is a giant of the literary fiction world. Her novels, in which poverty and cruelty are tempered by love and by magic, have sold over 57 million copies. She was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2004.

Allende is the author of twenty books, including Eva Luna, Inès of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and The House of the Spirits and she’s been translated into more than 27 languages. The legend has it that she began her career as a journalist, but was told by the poet Pablo Neruda that she had too much imagination and should try her hand at fiction.

Ripper, her new book, is certainly a departure: a gripping murder thriller set in San Francisco.

Amanda Martín, teenage daughter of the Deputy Chief of Police, runs an online community of amateur investigators that solves historical crimes. When a security guard is found dead in a school gym and the police are baffled, they decide to branch out. Amanda shares police information about the murder with her fellow sleuths, who, without rule of law or moral restraint, can follow any lines of enquiry they choose.

As they edge closer to the truth, the death toll increases and the real and online worlds suddenly collide with deadly consequences. Could the sudden disappearance of Amanda’s mother be linked to the serial killer? And will Amanda and her online accomplices solve the mystery before it’s too late?

Reception for Ripper has been mixed with some reviewers questioning what they see as plot holes and unrealistic characters. Changing direction was always going to be a difficult balancing act for Allende; as it is for all major authors who decide to try something different without using a pseudonym. Can you keep your legions of fans happy, while providing a credible thriller for a new audience?