A 94,000 word mystery novel with strong romantic elements by Ann Charles. It is the first in a series.
Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota. Fearing her daughter might be next, single mom, Violet Parker, is desperate to find the monster behind the abductions.
With her savings dwindling and just three weeks left to sell her first house or lose her Realtor job, Violet must convince her only buyer to stop rejecting the vintage homes she shows him as if they’re haunted. So when a handsome jeweler hires her to sell his century-old, Victorian masterpiece, she’s ecstatic…until she sees the dilapidated dwelling.
Short on time and long on worry, she refuses to give up her dream of a fresh start in Deadwood. But with a malicious coworker trying to get her fired, a secret admirer sending her creepy messages, and a sexy, dark-eyed stranger hiding skeletons in his closet, Violet could end up as one of Deadwood’s dearly departed.
Mystery: “The reason he got so pissed about the Missing Girl sign is because this third incident has rumors flying all over town that Deadwood has its very own serial snatcher.” —Mona Hollister
Romance: My heart throbbed in my throat. Here it was, the magic moment—stars twinkling, crickets chirping, Aunt Zoe’s honeysuckle blooms perfuming the night air. My pulse sped like a chipmunk on Red Bull, my lips tingled, my armpits dampened. I hadn’t kissed a man in almost two years, and that guy had smelled like onions and could have been the missing link between modern humans and the Neanderthals. —Violet Parker
Comedy: Wolfgang smiled. I smiled back. Hell, the whole world was smiling at that moment. We should have all joined hands. —Violet Parker
Suspense:“Who are you?” His voice slightly slurred and full of suspicion, he pushed his face against the screen. The mesh bulged as he leered at me. His gaze crawled down to my sandals and then back up to my chest. “Did the sheriff send you?” —Jeff Wymonds