Gutsy new PI Lou Alcott takes charge in this brilliantly crafted thriller. Twisty, gritty and unputdownable, in this story the underdog is fighting back. Perfect for readers of Sarah Bailey and Jane Caro’s The Mother.

She’s the one to turn to when you need saving. But first she has to save herself…

Lou Alcott is turning over a new leaf as a private investigator. Formerly police, she was forced to resign when she attacked a domestic violence perpetrator. She’s always vowed to be nothing like her grandfather Hamish, Melbourne’s biggest crime boss, delivering an eye for an eye, but this guy had it coming.

On her first day she draws two cases helping at-risk women. First there’s Diane Paterson, who has apparently left her husband without a word. Who should Lou believe? The charmingly distraught husband, Diane’s suspicious parents, or the freezer full of lovingly prepared food left behind?

Then a house security check for an isolated young woman who is convinced her abusive ex is stalking her again turns worrisome when she fails to show up for their meeting. Lou reports Melinda’s odd disappearance to the police but with no signs of a struggle she fears they’re not able to act quickly enough.

With her protective radar pinging, Lou keeps digging until she unearths chilling evidence that puts her in the hot seat. Suddenly Lou is embroiled in a cat-and-mouse-game where there will only be one survivor… Will Lou’s first case be her last?

‘A fast-paced, action-packed thriller that explores the dangers of online dating, family loyalties, and the crossover between police, criminals and the community. Ex-cop, brand-new private investigator Lou Alcott is unconventional, unstoppable and strangely endearing.’ – B.M. Carroll, author of The Other Side of Her

‘I confess, I’m a big fan of Sherryl Clark’s and Woman, Missing is another one to love. A pacy race against time that keeps you turning the page. Clark pulls in the reader straight away when her newly-minted private investigator Lou Alcott is called in to locate a missing wife, and to help a woman who suspects her ex is stalking her. Woman, Missing is cleverly plotted and hard to put down. A perfect holiday read.’ – Vikki Petraitis, author of The Unbelieved

The post Woman Missing: Meet the brand new star first appeared on Ebook Reader Z.

From Melissa Payne, bestselling author of The Night of Many Endings, comes an emotional and suspenseful novel about the weight of secrets and the healing power of friends and family.

Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in. Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago. It’s one full of nobodies, her mother warned. That makes it the ideal refuge for Vega to lie low, feel safe, and maybe learn more about a past her mother never spoke of.

Vega warms to the town and to new acquaintances like Heff, the young deputy and artist who prefers his yard art to actual policing, and empathetic Eve, a local farmer whose near-death experience gave her more than just her life back. But even in this welcoming community, there’s an undercurrent of something unsettled, talk of a tragedy that unfolded in the woods years ago, and a mystery connected to Vega in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.

As a mother on the run and following a path of mounting risks and illuminating secrets, Vega discovers that even during the darkest of times, there’s light in unexpected places.

The post A Light in the Forest: A Novel first appeared on Ebook Reader Z.