Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America's last true frontier. Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents' passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights' lack of preparation and dwindling resources. But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt's fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
"The crime scene is unlike any that Detective Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have ever before encountered. The woman lies in apparently peaceful repose on her bed, and Maura finds no apparent cause of death, but there is no doubt the woman is indeed dead. The victim's eyes have been removed and placed in the palm of her hand, a gesture that echoes the terrifying films she produces. Is a crazed movie fan reenacting scenes from those disturbing films? When another victim is found, again with no apparent cause of death, again with a grotesquely staged crime scene, Jane and Maura realize the killer has widened his circle of targets. He's chosen one particular woman for his next victim, and she knows he's coming for her next. She's the only one who can help Jane and Maura catch the killer. But she knows a secret. And it's a secret she'll never tell"--
"Within the walls of a tasteful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, young Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. Strangers--and even Zane's own aunt across the lake--see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children's ballet recitals and baseball games. Zane and his sister know the truth: There is something terribly wrong. As his father's violent, controlling rages--and his mother's complicity--become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, days until he can escape. He looks out for little Britt, warning her: Be smart; Be careful. In fear for his very life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away. When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the façade, Zane begins to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph--and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves..."--Provided by publisher.
Audiobooks
Husbands -- Death -- Fiction.
Mothers and sons -- Fiction
Romance fiction
Saint John (United States Virgin Islands) -- Fiction.
Secrecy -- Fiction
Widows -- Fiction
"A Navy SEAL will need every bit of his extensive skill set when he appoints himself as bodyguard to a woman determined not to need one in this thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood. Isabel Grace MacKenna had a hundred things to do today. Killing someone wasn't one of them. It was supposed to just be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanans' anniversary party. But after getting lost, she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her and then his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn't expect him to drop dead. The police are torn between believing that she's an innocent bystander or more deeply involved, but thanks to the Buchanans dispatching Navy SEAL and now lawyer Michael Buchanan to deal with the police, Isabel is finally free to go. Isabel knows that she should be more grateful for Michael's help, but since she loathed him for years, gratitude is the last thing she feels. But somehow, Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and he's sticking to her like glue despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her, but he isn't the only thing Isabel can't shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel have escalated, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, they must first survive"--Provided by publisher.