In this exciting debut novel comes a fast-paced thriller that follows a sports reporter’s journey off the court…and into a world of murder and deception.

Former Olympic athlete and sports reporter Kate Green isn’t sure how much more tumultuous her life can get. She’s been put on temporary leave from her job, then NBA superstar Kurt Robbins is killed and the prime suspect in his murder is none other than his wife…and Kate’s best friend.

Kate knows that Yvette’s marriage wasn’t exactly stable, but her friend is no murderer, and Kate is determined to prove it with her own investigation. While she tries to salvage Yvette’s life, Kate’s own continues to unravel. Her career is in limbo. Gossip columns speculate about her future. Her children are battling their own demons. And her estranged father suddenly reenters her life as a detective assigned to Kurt’s homicide case.

As her worlds collide—exposing secrets, lies, and ulterior motives—Kate may have to choose between the games she can play and the one she might lose.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, November 2023

• Men’s Journal Top 10 Books of the Year
• Woman’s Day Reads selection
• News 12 Connecticut’s Suspenseful Thrillers Pick
• CT Insider Book Feature
• Local Moms Network Feature
• Fresh Fiction Subscription Box Selection

“Kipness, formerly a national TV sports reporter, uses her expertise to lend both authenticity and thrills to scenes taking place in TV vans, editing bays, and the labyrinthine tunnels of Madison Square Garden. . . .Kipness’ promising debut offers solid plotting and an intriguing main character.”
—Booklist

“Lights Out is a notable debut from an exceptional new talent. In Kate Green, Elise Hart Kipness offers a complex, conflicted, and wholly compelling heroine whose strong convictions illuminate truth and justice in the face of darkness and duplicity. As an outsider in a world of wealth and privilege, she stands as the very conscience that negates the corrosiveness of crime and collusion. In other words, Kate is a beacon in a broken world that is not necessarily beyond repair. Here’s hoping we’ll see much more of her—and the author—in years to come.”
—Criminal Element

“Lights Out is a thriller that starts at breakneck pace and never lets up…In this striking debut, Elise Hart Kipness writes with heart, empathy, and psychological insight into evil that exists where you least expect it.”
—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Box

“With a TV sports reporter protagonist, LIGHTS OUT blasts onto the thriller scene with something completely new and exciting for seasoned readers of the genre. The book is teeming with plausible suspects, each with a compelling motive and secrets they’d kill to keep, but always returns to the question of whether we truly know what those closest to us are capable of. This is fast-paced suspense you’ll want to read in just a couple of sittings, and with an ending that hints at more intriguing layers of our protagonist’s story to come, I can’t wait to see what Elise Hart Kipness delivers next!”
—Megan Collins, author of Thicker Than Water and The Family Plot

“[A] this scandalous, page-turning thriller!”
—Wendy Walker, best selling author of What Remains

“A story that grabs you from the beginning and keeps on building. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one sitting!”
—Chad Zunker, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Family Money

“A skillfully-constructed story of female friendship, hidden truths, and the mysteries that can lurk in seemingly quiet neighborhoods. I devoured every page.”
—Tessa Wegert, author of the popular Shana Merchant mysteries, including The Kind To Kill

“Set in the high stakes world of professional sports, the book pits an appealing female protagonist against an increasingly slippery killer who will stop at nothing to evade capture.”
—Carole Lawrence, award winning author of Cleopatra’s Dagger

“Lights Out is a seminal triumph in thriller writing…A crime thriller of rare depth and societal implications, Lights Out shoots straight and hits the bullseye dead center.”
—Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

• Brilliance Audio

Sports reporter Kate Green’s next harrowing story, where a famous former teammate is found murdered, and the only way to close her case is to open up old wounds.

After a tumultuous murder case that almost cost more than her job, sports reporter Kate Green is back on assignment covering women’s Olympic soccer. Between her experience with athletic stardom and days playing with Savannah Baker, head coach of the USA team, Kate is sure to get the story that will reestablish her career.

She just didn’t expect that story to involve murder.

When famous jewelry designer Alexa Kane is found dead in the locker room, Kate’s promising future screeches to a halt as her past resurfaces. Alexa played with Kate and Savannah on the US youth national team, but there was no reason for her to be at the stadium now.

Kate’s investigation puts her in close contact with her estranged father, an NYPD detective who has his own past to answer for. As their secrets collide, Kate will have to decide which ones to keep—and which ones to reveal to stop the killer.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Thomas & Mercer, September 2024

• Writers Digest Feature

• Yahoo! Life Feature

• Scripps News Beach Reads Selection

• Authors on the Air Feature

• Awful Announcing Feature

• Hollywood Reporter’s This Week’s Best Events Feature

• Featured in Digital Journal
• Featured in Authority Magazine
• CT Insider Book Feature

“Kipness’ depiction of the world of women’s sports, featuring crisp character portraits, is both relevant and well executed. A brisk whodunit set in the world of women’s soccer that arrives at an appropriate moment.”
—Kirkus

“The second rip-roaring mystery about sports reporter Kate Green…is overflowing with the authentic detail available only to the subject matter expert…the strength of this very good mystery is in the portrayal of the cutthroat world of Olympic sports and the similarly vicious ecosphere of network media”
—Aubrey Nye Hamilton, Kevin’s Corner

“Hart Kipness knows her territory the way Messi knows the pitch. Dangerous Play is a surefire winner.”
—Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Blind to Midnight

“Elise Hart Kipness’s expertise in the world of sports reporting shines through in this pulse-pounding thriller that’s perfect for fans of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar books. The twisty plot will keep you turning the pages while intrepid reporter Kate Green is a character you can’t help rooting for.”
—Lisa Gray, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“With keen insight into the world of sports reporting, Elise Hart Kipness takes readers on a riveting journey through the world of competitive soccer and the reporters who cover their triumphs and defeats. Dangerous Play is a masterfully-plotted murder mystery, and the perfect sequel to Lights Out. I can’t wait for the next Kate Green adventure!”
—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Mad Love

“Hart Kipness writes with impressive authority and specificity about the worlds of sports and sports reporting, and her skillful treatment of the human relationships at the heart of the mystery makes this a must-read thriller!”
—Sarah Stewart Taylor, author of the Maggie D’arcy series

“Crime comes to the Olympics in the captivating new Kate Green thriller. With a flair for conveying the complexity of friendships, and a meticulous eye for anything sports, Elise Hart Kipness delivers another big win.”
—Tessa Wegert, author of Devils at the Door

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

•  Brilliance Audio

Foreign

• Greek: Pedio