Laura Scott

"Pinned inside her wrecked car, Rachel Simon is powerless to stop her son's abduction. Unless she can come up with one million dollars, Joey won't survive until Christmas. With her son's life hanging in the balance, Rachel turns to the one lawman who can help her. His own painful past still shadowing him, Detective Nick Butler is determined not to fail. Racing against a ticking clock, Nick will have to put all his investigative skills to the test if mother and son are to be reunited--and then perhaps he might have a chance at the redeeming power of love."--Publisher.

"Before he retired, J. P. Beaumont had looked forward to having his days all to himself. But too much free time doesn't suit a man used to brushing close to danger. When his longtime nemesis, retired Seattle crime reporter Maxwell Cole, dies in whats officially deemed to be an accidental fire, Beau is astonished to be dragged into the investigation at the request of none other than the deceased victim himself. In the process Beau learns that just because a long-ago case was solved doesn't mean it's over. Caught up in a situation where old actions and grudges can hold dangerous consequences in the present, Beau is forced to operate outside the familiar world of law enforcement. While seeking justice for his frenemy and healing for a long fractured family, he comes face to face with an implacable enemy who has spent decades hiding in plain sight." -- From publisher's description.

"Only one thing matters to Caleb O'Malley: his daughter. Framed for his wife's murder, Caleb's only wish is to see his little girl. But Noelle Whitman, his daughter's foster mother, isn't buying his plea of innocence until bullets start flying and they're running for their lives. Staying one step ahead of the real killer proves nearly impossible, but former SWAT cop Caleb will risk everything to keep them safe. Because now there is nothing more important than Noelle and his daughter-not his freedom, not even his life"--Back cover.

"Former crime-scene investigator Megan O'Ryan helped convict the St. Patrick's Strangler, who killed Megan's sister. Now she's trying to heal in a small Wisconsin town. But a copycat killer is at work in Crystal Lake, and Sheriff Luke Torretti needs Megan's help ... on the case and at home, where the widower's troubled teenage son has become a suspect. The boy claims he's innocent--and Megan believes him. Because the more she and Luke investigate, the more Megan becomes convinced that her own past has brought the killer to Crystal Lake. And without Luke's help, the next victim will be her"--P. of cover.

1953: “So, um...this is awkward, but...that's my grandma you're sitting on.” A half smile inched across the young man's face, and he motioned to the headstone I was leaning against. “I am so sorry,” I said, quickly standing. “I didn't realize—I mean, I should have realized—I just—I'm sorry.” The man chuckled. “Told you it was awkward,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he continued to smile. “I'm Joe.” Life in Backus is, in Ella's mind, akin to the observation in Pride and Prejudice: "For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?" Ella wants out, and the arrival of her friend's handsome cousin threatens that dream. Joe starts working her job in the diner, gains the respect of the town, and--worse--causes her to like him. 2008: "You probably aren't used to people just walking into your house. At least, not ones you've never met." The strange girl giggled. "Um," I shifted uncomfortably. "Hi?" She took my greeting as an invitation to step farther into my room. "Who are you?" "Oh!" She laughed. "I'm Rosie; I live next door. You're Jane, right?" Jane, who recently moved from the Twin Cities, just hopes to fit in. The talkative Rosie and a position on the Backus newspaper help that happen...but as she continues looking into the town's past, she finds more mysteries than explanations. Two cultures combine in this story of love, friendship, and tested faith.

After a mysterious source tips him off to two headline-grabbing stories, local reporter Chris Turley is happy to be doing quality journalistic work, until he finds out the lengths to which the source went to help him.

"When Kayla Wilson finds a body in Lake Michigan, she shields her daughter's eyes and calls the police. But not before spotting a stranger lurking in the woods--watching her. And when her bed-and-breakfast is broken into, she knows the man is after her. Coast Guard officer Rafe DeSilva is sure the attacks are related to his current case--a crime ring operating in the Great Lakes. He will do whatever is necessary to keep Kayla and her daughter, Brianna, safe ... while holding them at arm's length. Until Brianna is kidnapped, and Rafe puts everything on the line for a Christmas rescue."--P. of cover.

"FBI agent Logan Quail puts his life and career in jeopardy when he blows his cover to save Kate Townsend from a mafia goon. He wasn't able to save his fiancée from Bernardo Salvatore's violent syndicate, but this time he'll make sure that Kate Townsend doesn't get herself killed trying to prove her father was murdered. Now Logan and Kate must work together, each overcoming their separate grief, to bring down a ruthless mob boss. And maybe find some peace through the healing power of love"--Publisher.