In the second book in the "New York Times" bestselling mystery series, Veronica Mars is back with a case that will expose the hidden workings of one of Neptune's most murderous locations.
The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town's ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove--or prove--the woman's story.
The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won't divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim's memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel's surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying--but who? And why?

From Rob Thomas, the creator of the television series and movie phenomenon "Veronica Mars," comes the first book in a thrilling mystery series that picks up where the feature film left off.
Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.
Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person's case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.
In "Veronica Mars," Rob Thomas has created a groundbreaking female detective who's part Phillip Marlowe, part Nancy Drew, and all snark. With its sharp plot and clever twists, "The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line" will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Nadine is approaching her 40th birthday. With one disastrous affair behind her, she decides to look for another relationship before her clock stops. She comes to the conclusion that she may either have to rob the cradle or the grave.