Joseph Souza Libros

In this gripping new novel, a mother becomes entangled in the sinister realities of her seemingly idyllic Maine town. Shepherd's Bay, traditionally home to generations of lobstermen, is now facing rising tensions as affluent newcomers purchase waterfront properties. The community is already on edge following the recent disappearance of Dakota James, a teenager from the wealthier side of town. The situation escalates when high school junior Katie Eaves and her friend, Willow Briggs, fail to return home after a night out. Katie's mother, Isla, is frantic, and after two agonizing days, Katie is found alive but bruised and bloodied, while Willow, a newcomer from Los Angeles, remains missing. With Katie unable to recall the events of that night, Isla seeks to help her daughter piece together her fragmented memories and the complexities of her friendship with the glamorous Willow. At her hair salon, Isla hears unsettling rumors about wild parties, drug dealings, and complicated relationships. As she navigates these whispers, questions arise: Is Dakota's disappearance connected to Willow's? What hidden truths lie beneath the surface of Shepherd's Bay, and how can Isla protect her family amid the chaos?

Lucy Abbott never pictured herself coming back to Fawn Grove, Maine. Yet after serving time in Afghanistan, then years spent as a sous chef in New York, she's realized her only hope of moving on from the past involves facing it again. But Fawn Grove, like Lucy herself, has changed. Lucy's sister, Wendy, is eager to help her adapt, almost stifling her with concern. At the local diner, Lucy is an exotic curiosity--much like the refugees who've arrived in recent years. When a fifteen-year-old Muslim girl is found murdered along the banks of the river, difficult memories of Lucy's time overseas come flooding back and she feels an automatic connection. At first glance, the tragedy looks like an honor killing. But the more Lucy learns about her old hometown, the less certain that seems. There is menace and hostility here, clothed in neighborly smiles and a veneer of comfort. And when another teen is found dead in a cornfield, his throat slit, Lucy--who knows something about hiding secrets--must confront a truth more brutal than she could have imagined, in the last place she expected it . .