“A gripping story with dramatic twists, and a memorable heroine.” —James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

McCown County assistant prosecutor Elsie Arnold is prepping an assault case when a girl is found beaten and bloodied at a roadside no-tell motel. Elsie tries to convince the teen to reveal who attacked her, but Mandy is too scared—and stubborn—to cooperate… and then she disappears. Elsie’s positive a predator is targeting the Ozark hills, yet the authorities refuse to believe their small town could be plagued by sex trafficking.

Then middle school student Desiree Wickham goes missing, but only Elsie suspects it could be connected to Mandy’s assault. As she digs deeper into the events leading up to Desiree’s disappearance, she stumbles upon an alarming discovery: local girls are falling prey to a dubious online modeling agency, and never seen again. Elsie shares her concerns with Detective Ashlock and the FBI, but they shut her out. 

She takes matters into her own hands and lands an interview with the head of the modeling agency. But when she meets him face-to-face, she discovers the fate of Desiree and Mandy… and becomes his newest captive. Elsie’s desperate to free the girls—and save herself—before the unspeakable happens. And she’s in for the fight of her life.

"A light, breezy thriller, but its tale of a troubled man acting as a father to an equally troubled girl has exceptional dramatic impact." –Kirkus Reviews

It’s the rugged Monastery Valley of Montana. High on the cliff called the Coliseum stands a man, deciding whether to live or die. In the valley below, Grace Ellonson, fourteen, will be abandoned by her mother. Where has Grace’s mother gone, and why has she left her daughter behind? A rancher will be seduced into a racist and anti-government conspiracy—who’s leading the conspiracy and what are his plans? Depressed psychologist Ed Northrup and Monastery Valley newcomer deputy sheriff Andi Pelton struggle to unravel these mysteries before they explode in a violent collision. And amid the chaos, Ed, Andi, and Grace must face the most formidable decision of their lives.

THREE DELICIOUS FUNNY MYSTERIES...AT A YUMMY BARGAIN PRICE!

Funny, lively lawyer Rebecca Schwartz is a perennial favorite among cozy readers who can't get enough of smart-mouthed women sleuths. You can't read just one, they're like chocolates! So pretend they are—here's a succulent sampler at a delectably tempting bargain price –barely more than half price. That’s what we call a delicious Kindle deal! (And by the way, they go well with chocolates. )

DEATH TURNS A TRICK

A rollicking tale of murder, romance, and bordellos…

“A lively romp of a novel … Smith shows an Agatha Christie-like capacity for making much ado about clues, concocting straw hypotheses, and surprising us, in the end." -San Francisco Chronicle

“Funny and witty, with a clever, outspoken heroine.” —Library Journal

Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of Course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor? Fans of Janet Evanovich, Joan Hess, and Elizabeth Peters will get a kick out of this one.

THE SOURDOUGH WARS

“…a brisk and breezy item, which—like sourdough itself—has its own distinctive and satisfying flavor.” -San Diego Union

TO YOU, IT’S JUST A FROZEN LUMP OF DOUGH; BUT TO SOME, IT’S LIFE AND DEATH…

Especially to handsome Peter Martinelli, who wants to auction off the fabled sourdough starter from his family’s famous bakery. But who’d buy a frozen hunk of flour and water? Only, it turns out, every bakery in San Francisco, a national food conglomerate, and an upstart ringer with a mysterious backer.

Someone would even kill for it. And does.

A tasty treat of a San Francisco mystery. A crisp, tangy story you’re sure to get a rise out of. You won’t find it a bit crumb-y.

TOURIST TRAP

Fear stalks the streets! reports the San Francisco Chronicle. It also stalks these pages, and so do a lot of laughs.

You just know the Easter sunrise service is going to be a bummer when the San Francisco fog lifts to reveal a body nailed to a landmark cross. Next: mass shellfish poisoning at Pier 39. A very different kind of serial killer is operating here—one who seems to have a grudge against the whole city.

And this is a very different kind of serial killer tale—a funny one. Well, actually, what serial killer’s funny? But lawyer sleuth Rebecca Schwartz is warm and witty, never takes herself too seriously, and on one occasion offers closing testimony with green hair.

Rebecca Mayfield has always been a by-the-book cop until Richie Amalfi enters her life--and makes her want to throw the book at him! Now, Richie's accused of murder and runs to Rebecca to help him prove his innocence. She's completely flummoxed by this, but the more she learns about the case, the more convinced she is that he's not guilty. Will she break all the rules to help him, or do her job the way she's been taught? And what are the consequences for either choice?

As dangers lurk and more deaths happen, Rebecca discovers there's a lot more to Richie than she thought and a lot more to like than she imagined, she fears not only for her life, but also her heart.

If you've missed TV shows like Castle or Remington Steele, you'll enjoy reading about Rebecca and Richie because they, too, give you mystery and humor with a touch of romance. Start this first book in the best-selling Inspector Rebecca Mayfield "Clock" series, and you'll soon find the hours seem to fly by ...

"Joanne Pence is a master of the mystery genre. She pulls the reader in and sets the roller coaster in motion."--Carolyn Haines, USA Today bestselling author

"Joanne Pence provides laughter, love, and cold chills." --Carolyn Hart, NY Times bestselling author

North American Book Award recipient - Mystery Category
 

Bag the ENTIRE AWARD-WINNING Jeri Howard murder mystery series for barely a buck a book!

Fans of hard-boiled women sleuths and detective novels with a twist will love P.I. Jeri Howard. If you like Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller, T.R. Ragan, Laura Lippman, Sara Paretsky, and Alison Gaylin, this intelligent, action-packed anthology is a mega bargain!

"Jeri combines V.I.'s social conscience with Kinsey's badass attitude and a snappy narrative voice..."
-Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post Book World

Jeri's as savvy as Sam Spade, with something of Spade's seen-it-all outlook. She handles the daily bread and butter without breaking a sweat, and she's got the street smarts to handle the bad guys, always managing somehow to land a well-deserved punch. What she doesn't know, her chic lawyer pal, Cassie, can supply; and her cop ex-husband's on hand to make trouble.

"Dawson keeps suspense and interest at high pitch." -Publishers Weekly

KINDRED CRIMES
A puzzling missing persons case--a wife who disappears with the grocery money--keeps winding backward, revealing brand new secrets as fast as ancient skeletons can fall out of closets.

TILL THE OLD MEN DIE
The grisly murder of a sedate, widowed history professor, is written off as a random street crime until a woman turns up at his university, claiming to be his widow and demanding access to his "papers."

TAKE A NUMBER
Out of loyalty to a former client, Jeri takes on a nasty divorce case. The soon-to-be ex-husband winds up with a bullet in his back, and the prime suspect is Jeri's client.

DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN
Jeri is looking to catch a respite from the PI life to relax and visit family in lovely Monterey on the California coast. Now, what's the worst thing that could happen on a PI's vacation? A dead body on the beach, most likely.

NOBODY'S CHILD
Is a Jane Doe uncovered at a construction site the body of her client's long-lost daughter Maureen? If so, what's become of Maureen's two-year-old daughter?

A CREDIBLE THREAT
A UC Berkeley undergrad fears the worst when her shared house receives multiple threats from an unknown antagonizer.

WITNESS TO EVIL
A seventeen-year-old Jeri tracked down when she swiped her mother's credit card and took off for Paris is now a "person of interest" in a murder case--and, once again, in the wind.

WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED
Jeri's newest client was about to blow the whistle on a large food manufacturer just before he took a header out his fifth-floor apartment window--but he hadn't yet told her what it was about. Next step: Undercover in the corporate office.

A KILLING AT THE TRACK
Set in the fascinating and forbidden racetrack backside. Dawson's complex plot is a pleasure--one dead jockey, then two dead jockeys, three exotic poisons, and several possible payoffs.

When Maggie May Carver moved to Baker Valley, Colorado she wanted two things: to open a dog barkery with her best friend, and to take care of her aging grandpa.

But when her grandpa is accused of murder--a crime he may well have committed--Maggie finds herself in the role of amateur detective.

With her faithful Newfie, Miss Fancypants, at her side, Maggie is determined to find the real killer and clear her grandpa's name.

Assuming he isn't the real killer, that is.

USA Today Bestseller • Top 25 Amazon Bestseller

All three Ruby Callaway novels and all four side stories together for the first time—1,100+ pages of snarky urban fantasy perfect for fans of Kate Daniels and The Dresden Files.

It all started with a death: her own.

Ruby Callaway is the most feared supernatural bounty hunter in the world. But even Ruby has limits. And, after two centuries, she might have finally met her match.

Spanning over two hundred years, from her origin story in 1812 (Bone Realm) to her battle against the corporate monolith MagiTekk in the near-future (Lightning Blade), Ruby Callaway: The Complete Collection is not your typical urban fantasy.

But, then, Ruby isn't your typical bounty hunter.

Ruby Callaway: The Complete Collection contains all three full-length novels in The Ruby Callaway Trilogy: Lightning Blade, Shadow Flare, and Blood River. It also includes all four of Ruby's side adventures fleshing out her two century backstory, previously only available to subscribers of D.N. Erikson's newsletter. These include two novellas: Bone Realm and Going Home, and two side stories: "Silver Tempest" and "Kentucky Clear."

2018 Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner!

A GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FOR FANS OF KING AND KOONTZ!

"RIVETING"--Kirkus Reviews

What price would you pay for success?

Witnessing a lightning bolt on a sunny day, author Alexa Wainwright doesn't realize she's been transported to an alternate universe. Here, she meets media mogul, publisher, and possibly the devil himself, King Blakemore who offers her a lucrative book contract that will guarantee her comeback.

Suddenly, the contract's been signed. Now what can she do?

Desperate to get her life back, Alexa devises schemes to untether herself from this hellish existence.

Buy this book if you're a reader who loves a page-turning, heart-stopping, psychological thriller with some magical realism thrown in.

THE INQUISITION IS BACK! AND THIS TIME THEY HAVE TECHNOLOGY.

An action-packed unraveling of the secrets of ancient history mixed in with a chilling conspiracy that brings to mind Dan Brown’s bestseller INFERNO.

“Swigart is one of the few thriller writers with a poetic sense … [who] knows how to give high velocity to an action mystery.” -San Francisco Chronicle

Papyrologist Lisa Emmer’s world flips when the Surete meets her at her Metro station with news of the savage murder of the esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents. Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her by her mentor—clues to a secret kept hidden for centuries. These clues make her a prime suspect in the murder investigation, and also put her directly in the cross-hairs of a deadly commando group that proves to be none other than a contemporary offshoot of the Inquisition.

They want an ancient document that reveals a secret so explosive it could change the world—a document they’ve been tracking for centuries. Led by a sadistic priest and a vicious but very accomplished nun with excellent military cred, their mission is to destroy the document—no matter what the cost in blood.

Desperate to clear her name and to stay alive, with the help of a handsome yet mysterious banker, Lisa must solve the clues and uncover the millennia-old secret before her adversaries can find and destroy it. Since she was a child Lisa had suffered from uncontrollable fugue states. Now she discovers just in time that what she always thought was a liability may in fact be an almost paranormal ability to see things in ways others cannot. The trail leads everywhere from ancient cemeteries and tombs throughout France to Istanbul and Greece, as Lisa and Steve desperately stay one step ahead of their enemies, solving the clues to a dangerous treasure hunt their lives now depend upon.

A must-read for fans of Steve Berry, Dan Brown and Raymond Khoury!

Praise for Rob Swigart's THRILLER IN PARADISE series

“Bold and brassy … a breathless romp with prose that crackles like a live wire, bites like a rabid dog, [and] smooths like 30-year-old Scotch.” -San Francisco Review of Books

The “gripping… page-turner” (Time) hitting all the best of summer reading lists, Miracle Creek is perfect for book clubs and fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng

How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies?

In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they’re part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it’s clear the explosion wasn’t an accident.

A powerful showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Chapter by chapter, we shift alliances and gather evidence: Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owners, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? Could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn’t safe?

“A stunning debut about parents, children and the unwavering hope of a better life, even when all hope seems lost" (Washington Post), Miracle Creek uncovers the worst prejudice and best intentions, tense rivalries and the challenges of parenting a child with special needs. It’s “a quick-paced murder mystery that plumbs the power and perils of community” (O Magazine) as it carefully pieces together the tense atmosphere of a courtroom drama and the complexities of life as an immigrant family. Drawing on the author’s own experiences as a Korean-American, former trial lawyer, and mother of a “miracle submarine” patient, this is a novel steeped in suspense and igniting discussion. Recommended by Erin Morgenstern, Jean Kwok, Jennifer Weiner, Scott Turow, Laura Lippman, and more-- Miracle Creek is a brave, moving debut from an unforgettable new voice.

"An addictive first entry in the Julie Madigan Thriller series... fortunately for us, a second Julie Madigan book awaits." –Best Thrillers

Julie Madigan’s career with the New Mexico State Police ended in a puddle of her own blood after having her throat cut, barely able to lift her gun to shoot and kill the man who almost ended her life. But survival led to a year of recovery and left her desperate to hide the scars and to escape her past. She moved to Michigan, away from friends and coworkers who knew her secrets.

Now a Medical Examiner Investigator, Julie Madigan loves her job and her team, but when a killer sends her clues and evidence about two of his victims, taunting her with his unusual methods of murder, she is pulled into a twisted game that eventually targets those she cares about. The killer’s goal – to prove that not only will Julie kill again, but that she will enjoy it as much as he does. While trying to identify him, Julie discovers that this monster has been much closer to her than she ever imagined, leaving her in a race to save the victims he has selected, forcing her to choose who lives and who dies.

MURDER IN THE BIG SLEAZY: Destination crime fiction with a heaping dose of Étouffée

A simple man with a refined palate, maverick New Orleans lawyer Tubby Dubonnet has a penchant for fishing, Old Fashioneds, off-track betting, and fighting evil while passing a good time. Passing a good time, of course, includes running from the mob, solving gritty crime lab murder mysteries, thwarting hurricane season bank heists, and a good deal of rubbing elbows with corrupt politicians—all this while answering to a family of beloved women that he just can’t seem to slip anything past… And with each action-packed adventure, you can trust—because this is a Tubby Dubonnet mystery—that these disparate events are intricately intertwined.

A veritable best-of, this murder mystery anthology includes nine of Tubby Dubonnet’s Anthony and Edgar-nominated hard-boiled legal thrillers.

(Editor’s Note: Why not all ten? Sorry to say the rights to TUBBY MEETS KATRINA are licensed to another publisher. But these stories need not be read in order.)

CROOKED MAN

Meet lawyer Tubby Dubonnet. His clients are all renegades from the asylum (aka Orleans Parish), including Darryl Alvarez, the manager of a local nightclub who's been caught unloading marijuana from a shrimp boat. At their first meeting, Darryl entrusts Tubby with an ordinary-looking blue gym... of money. What could possibly go wrong?

CITY OF BEADS

Tubby Dubonnet is bored. Sure, researching licensing law for the new casino will keep trout meunière on the table, but what could be more tedious? (Unless, of course, the client’s dealings are steeped in conspiracy).

TRICK QUESTION

Medical lab janitor Cletus Busters is caught red-handed in a restricted area with the frozen head of Dr. Whitney Valentine. Busters won't say much, except that he's innocent. Calling Tubby Dubonnet!

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

To out-of-town kingpin Willie LaRue, Mardi Gras seems the perfect time for a New Orleans heist. Parties, parades, chaos, alcohol – who could be concerned about a little thing like a bank job? Indeed, all might have gone well except for an out-of-season frog-flogger that threatens to flood the French Quarter.

CRIME CZAR

Tubby can't forget the last words that escaped an old friend's lips, and he can't get out of the way of a political campaign that's turning rough. Obsessed with the idea that a shadowy crime boss may be pulling the strings that have cost good people their lives, Tubby is entering into a test of courage with the most violent men in New Orleans.

LUCKY MAN

It's a city of sin. And murder is only one of them. So what if Judge Hughes shared a few special moments with Sultana Patel—why is this a matter of public interest? Until the D.A. hatches a plot to ensnare them—and their lawyer Tubby. And what a web they’re ensnared in!

NIGHT WATCHMAN

When in the 1970s a young war protester is killed in broad daylight on Canal Street, it appears that his murder will be forgotten. But a youthful Tubby chanced to see it happen, and the tragic event's haunted him throughout his life. Decades later, Tubby decides to conduct his own investigation. And stirs up a hornets’ nest.

FAT MAN BLUES

Ex-con Angelo Spooner is trying to start a legit business, but he just can’t catch a break. Just as his healing Holy Water, “Angelo’s Elixir” is about to go upscale, the sticky strands of the Big Sleazy’s tangled web of crime and corruption come running. What’s a law-abiding parolee to do? Hire Tubby Dubonnet, of course!

FLAG BOY

The set-up alone's enough to make you believe in the butterfly effect. Two acrobats burglarize a house; a sultan moves into a French Quarter mansion; a Mardi Gras Indian, in the wrong place at the wrong time, is wrongfully arrested; and our hero Tubby Dubonnet comes upon a double murder while paying a social call on the bayou.

Matilda Dare can’t sleep. Her insomnia is one more reason to move to the quirky small town of Goodnight, New Mexico after she inherits a house, a small newspaper, and two old dogs there. But despite the Goodnight name, Matilda still spends hers wide awake, and she has good reason after a reporter is murdered. With a mystery to solve, she begins to investigate the town and uncovers more suspects than she knows what to do with. Meanwhile, the hottie cowboy sheriff is doing his own investigation into Matilda, and the mysterious, handsome stranger, who just happens to live with her, is showing up in all the wrong places. As her investigation continues, danger increases, and it might end up spelling lights out for Matilda.

Die Noon is the first installment in the hilarious, romantic Goodnight Mysteries series and a spinoff of the Matchmaker Mysteries. Goodnight…Sometimes sweet dreams end in murder.

“Elise Sax will win your heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis

“Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out.”—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig

“With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse” --RT Book Reviews

“Fans of laugh-out-loud romantic suspense will enjoy this new author as she joins the ranks of Janet Evanovich, Katie MacAllister, and Jennifer Crusie.”—Booklist, on An Affair to Dismember

“A thoughtful and powerful page turner.”—People

Elvis Cole is just a detective who can't say no, especially to a girl in a terrible fix. And Jennifer Sheridan qualifies: Her fiancé, Mark Thurman, is a decorated LA cop with an elite plainclothes unit, but Jennifer's sure he's in trouble—the kind of serious trouble that only Elvis Cole can help him out of.

Five minutes after his new client leaves his office, Elvis and his partner, the enigmatic Joe Pike, are hip-deep in a deadly situation as they plummet into a world of South Central gangs, corrupt cops, and conspiracies of silence. And before the case is through, every copy in the LAPD will be gunning for a pair of escaped armed-and-dangerous killers—Elvis Cole and Joe Pike.

“Elvis Cole provides more fun for the reader than any L.A. private eye to come along in years.”—Joseph Wambaugh 

“Elvis lives, and he's on his way to being crowned the king of detectives.”—Booklist

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, greed and corruption plague New Orleans… As 2007 begins, New Orleans is past due to begin its recovery from the devastation of the storm. A proposed real estate project in an impoverished minority neighborhood known as Bacauptown could ignite the City’s recovery. The conflicting agendas of three resolute men clash as their paths intersect in this project. Clint Johnson, Louisiana native and successful Baltimore banker, is beset by financial and marital problems from the stress of a severely autistic daughter. He commits a reckless act, and to redeem his career and troubled family life, he must go down a path of undercover intrigue in Louisiana. His work will bring him into a relationship with a beautiful Creole woman and into the crosshairs of a mob hitman. Joseph Pacello, a self-made real estate developer, borrowed mob money to keep his business afloat after the hurricane and now must close the Bacauptown financing to pay it back. As the wizard behind the deal, he must orchestrate all the bribes, bogus contracts, and political contributions necessary to grease the skids for a closing. Reverend Clarence Washington, the charismatic black minister who conceived the Bacauptown project, must contend with racism in the white community and fend off the greed of the black mayor and others who want to enrich themselves at the expense of the neighborhood and people his God-given vision will help. Aftermath is the engrossing tale of three men—aided or impeded by a cast of vivid characters—whose paths become entangled in a complex and dangerous series of events.

All the soft-boiled Bay Area adventures of hardboiled-wannabe Paul Mcdonald-- now in a two-volume box set at a great price!
 

Wise-cracking ex-journalist Paul Mcdonald’s main confidant is a cat named Spot; his best friend’s a burglar who’s trying to quit; his relationship status is commitment-phobic … what makes this Great American Novelist-in-waiting think adding “P.I.” to his resume is a good idea? Well, his boss was just poisoned in Paul’s living room right in front of him, and then somebody broke into his apartment; now he thinks they’re trying to kill him. Finally Paul’s got a story he can sell, if he can catch the murderer before the murderer catches him. And maybe he will … after all, there’s a Volume 2: HUCKLEBERRY FIEND, a risible treat for the rigorous bibliophile (and anyone else who loves a good puzzle) …

The FOURTH action-packed medical thriller in The Gina Mazzio Series.
WOMEN BEWARE—THIS HOSPITAL’S HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH!
After a particularly hair-raising travel assignment, Detective Nurse (AKA RN) Gina Mazzio is settling down to Ob/Gyn, one of the tamest jobs in her hospital, expecting babies, breast exams, and a total breeze, when suddenly she finds herself in an extremely unhealthy health care situation.

First a vibrant young woman suddenly dies of sepsis after an abortion. And two days later, it happens again. Murder, she thinks. In fact, murders. Definitely an inside job.

But no one else thinks so.

The good news is Harry Lucke, Gina’s fiancé and partner-in-crime-solving, takes an on-call job in the ICU unit. So now she’s got double eyes and double ears. But the bad news is godawful. Worse yet, it's personal, and there’s lots of it.

Her beloved brother Vinnie is so depressed and suicidal he’s received a medical discharge from a tour of duty in the Mideast. Vinnie needs all the help he can get. Worse, Gina’s ex-husband Dominick, whom she sent to prison for trying to kill her, is out and on his way to San Francisco.

As her investigation continues, she becomes the target of anti-abortion fanatics, as well as the hospital murderer; and Dominick--making for a truly action-packed medical thriller!

"I've been a scoundrel, a thief, a blackmailer and a whore, but never a murderer. Until now..."

The year is 1929. As the world teeters on the brink of a global recession, Bletchley Park plays host to a rather special event. MI5 is celebrating its twentieth anniversary and a select band of former and current employees are gathering at the private estate for a weekend of music, dance and heavy drinking. Among them is Sir Hilary Manningham-Butler, a middle aged woman whose entire adult life has been spent masquerading as a man. She doesn’t know why she has been invited – it is many years since she left the secret service – but it is clear she is not the only one with things to hide. And when one of the other guests threatens to expose her secret, the consequences could prove disastrous for everyone.
 

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

A missing child. A desperate mother. And a house full of secrets.

Two years ago, Julia lost her family in a tragic accident. Her husband drowned trying to save their daughter, Lily, in the river near their rural home. But the little girl’s body was never found—and Julia believes Lily is somehow still alive.

Alone and broke, Julia opens her house as a writers’ retreat. One of the first guests is Lucas, a horror novelist, who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Lily. But within days of his arrival, the peace of the retreat is shattered by a series of eerie events.

When Lucas’s investigation leads him and Julia into the woods, they discover a dark secret—a secret that someone will do anything to protect…

What really happened that day by the river? Why was Lily never found? And who, or what, is haunting the retreat?

From the bestselling author of Follow You Home and The Magpies comes his most terrifying novel yet.

A “superior thriller”(Oakland Press) about a man, a dog, and a terrifying threat that could only have come from the imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods.

That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation...