On his lunch break, David, a mild-mannered therapist, takes a walk in Central Park. It's a muggy June day, and the park is a respite from the parade of neurotics who keep him in business. A woman passes on a bicycle and tosses him a cheerful greeting. A few seconds later, David hears her scream. A mugger has knocked her to the ground, punched her in the face, and escaped with the bike. David helps the girl up. She's beautiful, grateful . . . and far more dangerous than she looks. A Broadway dancer, Kate stirs something within David that he hasn't felt in years. When his wife goes to Martha's Vineyard for the summer, he dives headlong into a passionate affair with the mysterious young woman, risking his marriage and reputation for the sake of someone he knows nothing about. And as he slips deeper into obsession, he will learn that Kate has a deadly secret that threatens everything he loves. A gripping novel of erotic suspense, Privileged Conversation is written with the sure hand of a master storyteller. Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Ed McBain was one of the greatest thriller authors of the twentieth century, and this is one of his best.