Spotlight & Giveaway: Fatal Silence by Carol Light

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Carol Light to HJ!

Hi Carol and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Fatal Silence!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Lexie Gilroy loves her work as a general contractor in her family’s business in
Crossroads, Arkansas. Since her divorce, she and her young daughter, Sophie, have been
living with her parents, and she’s been working hard to be able to build her dream house.
With her parents on vacation and Sophie staying with her father for a week, Lexie is
alone at night when thieves steal their new bulldozer. She recognizes one of them, but she
doesn’t tell police chief Tim Birch, a family friend, when he responds to her call. Instead,
she confronts her one-time hero, Gage Pope. After he’s found murdered the following
day, Lexie tells Tim, who’s now forced to consider her a suspect.
Cal Kinney, a board member at Southern Pines Paper Products, discovers
irregularities in the company’s bookkeeping. Before he can gather enough information to
report it, an anonymous tip about an incident in Cal’s past jeopardizes his job and costs
him the trust of the board’s chairman. Meanwhile, Cal has received anonymous notes of
his own about his grandfather’s abrupt termination at the company decades earlier.
“You’re next” is written on the back of the first one. Is it a threat or a warning?
Jack Huddleston is losing himself and the newspaper he runs. Ever since the
Crossroads Gazette office was fire bombed, nearly killing him, he’s been depressed,
although he refuses to acknowledge it. When a local businessman offers to help him out,
Jack’s curiosity begins to revive, especially as the offer comes from a man potentially
connected to illegal activities Jack’s failed to convince Tim Birch to investigate. But can
he prove who’s involved in what looks like a conspiracy and regain Tim’s respect
without once again endangering his own life?
Everyone needs help sometimes, and trusted friends can make all the difference,
especially when dangerous secrets are exposed. In Crossroads, no one will be safe until
the truth is revealed.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

March had come in like a lamb, welcoming dogwood and redwood blooms, but now it
had turned gray and moody, like a cantankerous old man lingering only to cause trouble.
Lexie barely heard his explanation as another chunk of the future she’d dreamed about
crumbled like plaster falling from an old wall.
That night, after she fell asleep, Lexie dreamed of a younger Gage, his worried face just
above her own after he’d fished her from the swimming pool. The image was so real she
could feel water dripping from his face onto hers. Awakened by the dream, she touched
her cheeks and found them wet with tears.

What inspired this book?

When I first conceived this series and imagined the town of Crossroads, I decided to
populate my Southern Secrets mysteries with young people who want to revitalize the
town. Who better than a young woman, born and raised in Crossroads, who’s become a
general contractor and loves updating and restoring old homes? Lexie Gilroy might have
left Crossroads if she hadn’t married right out of high school when she became pregnant.
But she’s always enjoyed helping her father in the business he’d started, unlike her older
brother. Her short-lived marriage and motherhood hasn’t changed that or her love for the
town.
Also, it’s hard to turn on the news today without hearing about corruption. That may be
why I chose to expose some cooking of the books at Southern Pines Paper Products
Company—and also so I could have the satisfaction of bringing the culprits to justice!

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Lexie considers herself independent and strong. After all, she’s working in construction,
a nontraditional career for a woman. What she doesn’t realize at first is that she’s always
had a strong safety net of men who could step forward to rescue her. When she’s faced
with adulting on her own, Lexie must deal with the hardest problems she’s yet
encountered in her life. I tested Lexie with plenty of challenges all heaped on her in the
same week. She surprised me with her courage and feistiness. She’s a bolder woman than
I am!

Cal Kinney is still a relative newcomer to Arkansas. I love that he has vision for his
company’s future. Cal is also confident—sometimes cocky—but he’s learned to tone
down his arrogance and use his charm. Not that it works on everyone…
Jack Huddleston was breaking my heart in this story, but who wouldn’t be suffering
depression after all he’s been through in the last year? I really came to know Jack in
Deadly Inheritance, the first Southern Secrets book in the series. His curiosity and his
articles led him into dangerous situations then, and in this story he’s paying the
psychological price. That same curiosity is what penetrates his depression to bring him
out of his funk, along with his friends who refuse to leave him alone in the darkness that
threatens to engulf him.

And Chief Tim Birch? It’s still lonely at the top for him, especially when he feels
betrayed by friends like Lexie. Ah Lexie… What happened to the little girl who’d always
been like a little sister to him? Grown up, attractive, and in danger, Lexie brings out
Tim’s protective side, and some romantic feelings he never expected to experience again.
Will Tim and Lexie become a couple? I’m sure my Harlequin Junkie friends will figure
that out!

What was your favorite scene to write?

One of my favorite scenes to write shows Lexie using her southern charm as an effective
weapon at Annabelle’s Café. Her family business has been barely making it with
remodeling jobs, which is why Lexie wants to pursue bigger projects. That was the goal
she had in mind when she convinced her parents to invest their savings in the bulldozer
that was stolen. Now, to help keep them afloat, she’s determined to collect money from a
deadbeat customer who can afford to pay. Unfortunately, Lexie encounters her ex-
husband before the guild ladies and her target arrive for lunch, but that doesn’t deter her
from her mission.

Lexie wanted to leave, but she still had business here. Besides, the chili was too
good to waste, even if she’d lost her appetite. She picked up her spoon as the guild ladies
entered. They didn’t notice her as they crossed to their usual table. She finished her lunch
as they settled in. After Cindy left with their orders and whatever news they’d shared, she
crossed to their table.
“Ladies, good to see y’all,” she said, interrupting their chatter. “Thought I’d say
hello. Mama sends her best. She’s sorry she missed y’all today.” Her smile was as sweet
as pie.
“How’s your brother, Lexie?” Mrs. Rogers asked. “I know your folks are sure
glad to have him back in the States.”
“He’s just fine. Thanks for asking. Oh, hello, Mrs. Dowling. I sent you an email
just before I came into town this morning. You probably haven’t had time to read it.”
The woman’s lips tightened. She knew what was in the message, whether she’d
read it or not.
“Anyhow, after I sent it, I thought about asking if you’d be okay if we featured
pictures of your kitchen remodel on our website and in possible media advertisements.
It’s truly one of the best and biggest we’ve ever done. We’re sure proud of it, and we
hope you are too.” She turned to the others. “Have y’all seen her fabulous new kitchen?”

There were curious looks on most of their faces. Lexie couldn’t remember her
mother ever going over to the Dowling house for meetings, so they probably hadn’t seen
it. Her neighbor, Jennifer Grover, had.

“It’s gorgeous, y’all,” the woman confirmed. “Probably one of the finest in
Crossroads. You should be proud of it, Cara, and you, too, Lexie. You and your daddy
did a terrific job.”

“Why, thank you! I don’t need an answer today about the photos. I’d sure
appreciate it if you’d send me a reply soon, though, on that other matter. Good to see you,
ladies. Enjoy your lunch.”

Cara Dowling had flushed, but whether with pride or shame, Lexie couldn’t tell.
Her friends probably wouldn’t let her overlook that email, which had included an invoice
for the overdue remaining balance payable immediately and a warning that the next step
would be to turn the account over to a collection agency. Her father wouldn’t approve of
that last part, but she had to loosen the woman’s grip on her checkbook somehow.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

I revised the scene where Lexie confronts Gage Pope several times. I wanted to show
Lexie’s anger at him for participating in the robbery of her family’s bulldozer, but also
her hope that he could explain himself and then her sadness at having her hero fall off his
pedestal in her eyes. As Gage tells her, “I’m not the man you think I am.” It’s a truth
she’s going to have to come to terms with.

Here’s a snippet:
Gage Pope’s eyes widened when he opened the door. “Lexie.” He glanced around at the
neighbors’ houses. “Come in.”
She entered the house. The blinds were closed, darkening the room as if it was
nighttime or someone was ill—or hiding. She followed him into the living room, where
he switched on a lamp.
“Are you having a sick day? You look a little peaky, Gage, or are you just
shocked to see me?”
“Lexie, I—”
She didn’t let him finish. “Last night”—she smiled and then shook her
head—“well, you’re not going to believe this, but I thought I recognized you stealing my
bulldozer along with two other men. I was sure my eyes must be playing tricks on me.
Gage Pope—husband, father, church deacon—”
“Lexie, I—”
He at least had enough conscience left to look away.
“I really didn’t want it to be you, Gage, but it was, wasn’t it?” He turned his back
and stepped away from her. Lexie followed. “Would you have shot me, Gage?”
His shoulders slumped. He turned to face her. “No. It … it wasn’t supposed to
happen like that.” He rubbed a hand over his thinning hair. Gage was only in his mid-
thirties, a few years older than her brother, but he already had a thickened waistline and
the beginning of jowls. His face glistened with sweat. He looked nothing like the fit
teenaged lifeguard he once had been.
“How was it supposed to happen? And why? Why were you stealing from us?
You’ve always been family. We love you. We— I trusted you. I trusted you with my
life!”
He raised his hands palms up. “You weren’t supposed to be there. No one was. I
thought you’d gone to North Carolina with your folks to see Justin.”
At least he wasn’t denying his role in the crime. “You know that doesn’t make it
right, Gage. Why did you need to steal?” It occurred to her then that her family may not
have been his only victims, but she wasn’t ready to see this as more than a single bad
mistake on his part.
Rubbing his temples, he began to pace. “I didn’t know they were going after your
bulldozer, Lexie. That’s the truth! I was just told we were going to repossess equipment
from someone who’d defaulted on their payments.” He raised his eyebrows and paused as
if waiting for her to confirm that what he’d been told was true. When she didn’t answer,
he added, “When we turned into your folks’ driveway— I never would have gone if I’d
known we were going to your house.”
She didn’t believe him. It was a struggle to keep her voice level. “We paid cash in
Little Rock for that bulldozer, Gage. There was no money owed. But I don’t understand.
Even if you thought you were repossessing it, why are you doing that kind of work? I
thought you were working at Southern Pines.”
“I am. I borrowed some money and—” With a head shake, he added, “It’s a long
story.” His brow creased in concern. “He didn’t hit you, did he?”
It was a little late for him to be worried about the bullet that had grazed her. “Who
is he?”
He shook his head. “He’s not someone you want to mess with.”
“I don’t want to mess with any of them, Gage, but I need my bulldozer back.
Daddy and I worked hard to earn the money to buy it. We spent most of our savings on it.
If you want to make this right”—her voice cracked—“and if you really care about me,
return what you took. Please.”
“I’m not the man you think I am,” he mumbled, dropping his gaze.
She laid her hand on his arm. “Have you thought about how much Liz is going to
be hurt when she finds out? And what about your kids? What are they going to do when
you go to jail?”
His head shot up. “Have you told the police?”
About me, he meant. “Not yet, but I reported the theft. I had to … to claim the
insurance money if it wasn’t found.” Not that they had insurance to claim.
He considered that for a moment.
“You know they’ll find you. It would be ten times better if you returned what you
stole and turned yourself in. Please, Gage. I understand what it’s like to make a mistake. I
also know you’re still the man I’ve always thought you were. Tell Tim Birch what
happened. He’ll help you through this.”
Frowning, he glanced away. She waited until she couldn’t stand the silence any
longer. “Gage?”
He still didn’t meet her gaze. “I’ll see what I can do.”
His defeated tone didn’t convince her. She wanted to shake him to make sure he
understood the opportunity she was giving him to redeem himself, but she sensed it
wouldn’t do any good. Maybe after he thought about it, about his family, he’d realize
what he needed to do. At a loss for words, all she could say was, “I sure hope so.”
He didn’t reply. Frustrated, she left him, not bothering to close the door behind
her. He didn’t follow her out.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I think it showcases my writing style. I don’t write dark mysteries, but there’s a good
puzzle and plenty of challenges for my viewpoint characters, who are ordinary people
trying to go about their lives and make their community better.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I want readers to enjoy the story and the characters I’ve created. Maybe they’ll think
about the importance of family and friends. Also, as Lexie experiences, even those of us
who think we’re independent and capable on our own need help at times.
Relationships—as long as we’re not overly dependent on others—make us stronger, not
weaker.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m planning a fourth Southern Secrets book. Although the first three were written as a
trilogy, this one will be a “But wait—there’s more” follow-up after the events of the
earlier stories that shocked and shook up the town of Crossroads.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of FATAL SILENCE + one additional Tule ebook of the winner’s choice

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What valuable life lessons have you learned from your friends?

Excerpt from Fatal Silence:

Chapter One

In the night, sound traveled more easily through walls and windows, penetrating brick, glass, and drawn shades. Lexie Gilroy awoke, not sure whether she’d heard or dreamed the low rumble of an engine. She strained to listen, but all she could hear was the hum of the refrigerator. The fridge clicked off, leaving an absolute silence.

It was nothing. She just wasn’t used to being alone in her parents’ house. She flipped her pillow, tugged the sheet and blanket closer to her chin, and closed her eyes.

The bag of popcorn she’d mindlessly eaten as supper while watching an old movie had satisfied her hunger but now sat like a lump in her stomach. The movie, Peggy Sue Got Married, hadn’t aided her digestion, either. Seeing Nicholas Cage in one of his earlier roles had been the reason she’d chosen the film. Unfortunately, his character had reminded her too much of her ex, and Kathleen Turner’s Peggy Sue foolishly had fallen for his charm. By the end of the movie, Lexie had been crying, sad at reliving her own disastrous teenage romance and brief marriage and angry with herself for choosing the film. So much for believing the advertising that had labeled it as a fantasy comedy-drama. Tragedy would have been a more apt description.

She turned over, resettling herself on her side with her knees drawn up toward her chest. It was hours until dawn, and she needed her sleep. Tomorrow was her interview before the city council for a building contract she hoped to win for Gilroy Construction. It was important that she did well for the family’s business and for her future and her daughter’s. Ah, Sophie … She’d give anything at this moment to snuggle in bed with her five-year-old, stroke her soft curls, and inhale her little-girl scent. Sophie had only been gone for two days. How was she going to survive an entire week without her?

The creak of something metallic and a soft thud brought her up on her forearm. Her heart began to race. The earlier sound might have been a car or truck—definitely a truck—passing on the road, but this noise was closer.

The rumble of an engine made her sit up in bed. It sounded like—

“No!” Throwing off her covers, she rushed to the window. Although the old pecan tree partially blocked her view of the detached garage in the backyard, she could see the black gap where the white closed door should be. A dark pickup truck with a flatbed trailer was parked outside. The man standing next to the ramp at the rear of the trailer motioned to someone inside the garage—someone who had apparently started her new bulldozer.

Lexie raced down the hallway to the back door. Sliding her bare feet into her Crocs, she grabbed the rifle her father kept loaded to scare off deer foraging in her mother’s garden.

“Stop!” she yelled as she rushed into the yard. “Y’all stop—you hear me?”

Her beautiful yellow Caterpillar D6 was already climbing up the trailer ramp. The driver turned his face toward her, his mouth open in a surprised O.

Lexie stopped and lowered the rifle. No, it couldn’t be…

In the seconds she hesitated, the dozer stopped at the top of the trailer. The man she’d seen from the window folded up and secured the ramp as the dozer driver turned off the engine. He hopped out on the side away from her and disappeared from view.

Lexie fired a warning shot above the black pickup. “Put my bulldozer back or the next bullet’s going into the cab!”

The truck began to move.

Lexie aimed for the front tires. There was no way they were taking her Cat. No way! She’d worked too hard to—

Her shot went wide and high as her arm jerked. The man who’d secured the ramp lowered his gun as Lexie realized she’d been hit.

“You son of a—” Too angry to think straight, she cocked and raised her rifle again as the man raised his weapon. Another voice yelled, “No! Leave her.”

The striker on her rifle clicked, but nothing happened. She tried another shot with the same result and then watched helplessly as the truck swung around. With a grin, the shooter stuck his gun in his waistband, grabbed the side of the trailer, and climbed on. Dropping the rifle, Lexie ran. If she could just get a look at the license plate …

But there wasn’t one.

She stopped. The distance between her and the taillights increased as the thieves rumbled down the long driveway to the road.

Her arm throbbed but she ignored it. Picking up the useless rifle, she walked to the garage and closed the door. Not that there was anything to protect inside anymore. The door had a lock, but they never used it. That would have to change if she got her Cat back.

Angry enough to spit nails, Lexie swore as she marched back to the house.

“What the hell were you thinking? There were three of them and one of you.”

Maybe she should have called 911 instead of Tim Birch. She could understand him being grumpy after being awakened in the middle of the night, but the police chief looked like he wanted to throttle her.

“I was thinking of stopping them, of course.”

“By shooting at them?” His blue eyes were as dark as the night. “Where’s Sophie? Is she inside?”

“No, she’s with Dev, or, more accurately, with his folks this week.” Her ex-husband usually parked their daughter with his parents on the days he had custody. But thank goodness her daughter hadn’t been here tonight.

“You’re shivering. Let’s go inside.” He touched her arm, and she flinched from the sudden pain.

Releasing her, he examined his fingers. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s only a scratch. I think the bullet just grazed me.”

“You were shot?”

It was a good thing that Sophie wasn’t sleeping inside. His shout would have awakened and scared her.

“Just please … I don’t need you telling me how I messed things up.” She turned away from him to hide the angry tears suddenly burning her eyes, but he followed her to the door and jerked it open before she could reach for it. Inside, Lexie flipped on the light and twisted to look at her injury. The long-sleeved navy T-shirt she slept in was dark and wet with blood around the tear made by the bullet.

“That’s more than a scratch. We need to get that looked at.”

Before she could protest, he had his phone out calling for paramedics. She didn’t need this. She didn’t need this at all. She wandered into the den, where she plopped onto the sofa. How was she going to tell her father that the bulldozer was gone? They’d bought it to make Gilroy Construction eligible for bigger jobs. Her parents’ savings had gone into the purchase after she’d convinced them it was an investment in their family business’s future. At least she didn’t have to tell Daddy yet. No sense in waking him up; the bad news could wait until daylight.

Cradling her injured arm, she closed her eyes. The image of her Cat on the flatbed and the flash of the gun firing at her as she stood helpless replayed in the darkness behind her eyelids. Tim was right to yell at her: she had been stupid to confront the thieves, or at least reckless.

“They’ll be here soon,” Tim said, returning.

She sat up. “You don’t have to stay. If you’re not going to go catch them, I will! I need my bulldozer, Tim. We need it.”

“Just hold your horses. I put out an APB on the truck.” Tim was still looking at her with more concern than her injury warranted. Grabbing the afghan from the back of her mother’s chair, he tossed it to her. “At least put it over your knees,” he said, his eyes softening. “I don’t want you going into shock. Do you need some water?”

She shook her head. She needed to quit being ugly to him. He was just trying to help. “No, thank you.”

He sat next to her on the sofa. “So tell me again—there were three of them, right?” She nodded. “Did you get a good look at them?”

Her heart sank. How could Gage have been involved? Had her eyes been playing tricks on her?

“Lexie?”

“I saw the one who operated the ramp. He’s the one who shot at me.”

“Was he white? Black?”

“I think he was white. I-I didn’t see the truck driver clearly, but the one who drove the bulldozer was white.”

“Did you recognize any of them?”

Lexie wet her lips. She must have been mistaken in thinking she recognized Gage Pope. For Pete’s sake, he was a deacon at his church, a family man. He’d never been in trouble with the law. If she accused him without being certain—

Before she could answer, Tim’s phone rang. He left the room to take the call, but she heard him saying something about the garage and possible tire tracks. She leaned back again, suddenly too tired to care about any investigation. How many burglaries were ever solved? The police had more important crimes to worry about. She was going to have to accept that her Cat was gone and so was the money they’d spent on it.

Tim stopped talking. She opened her eyes.

“How badly are you hurting?” He again sat beside her and reached for her hand. “Do you want me to call your folks?”

She sat upright. “No! Don’t you dare.” They’d just arrived in North Carolina after a two-day drive. The last thing she needed was for them to turn around and come home. “I’ll call them when it’s daylight. I’m all right, really—just tired.”

“You’ve been robbed and shot. I’d say you’re feeling a little more than tired and needing your beauty sleep.”

Beauty sleep? She jerked her hand out of his. “If you’re going to act like my big brother, you can go make some coffee, Tim Birch.”

Their stare-off didn’t last long. “Please?” She couldn’t help the tears that suddenly filled her eyes.

Tim rose. “Where the hell are they?” he muttered as he left her.

Lexie wiped her eyes and tried to get a grip on her emotions. The coffee was more of a distraction, an excuse to keep Tim busy elsewhere. She also didn’t want him to see her cry. Bless his heart—he was being so sweet, but she didn’t want to be fussed over. Maybe coffee was a good idea; she couldn’t imagine sleeping a wink thinking about the call to her parents she’d be making in a few hours that would ruin their vacation. And to think she’d been worried earlier about her interview with the city council. Now it seemed like the least of her worries.

The EMTs arrived as Tim brought her a cup of coffee. She watched as the male paramedic cut off the sleeve of her T-shirt and cleaned the wound. He confirmed it was just a graze and apologized for making it sting. The burning pain fueled her anger at the men who’d robbed her. She had to find them and recover what they’d stolen from her family.

She caught Tim watching her as the paramedic finished bandaging her arm and giving her instructions. He frowned at her as if she’d spoken her thoughts aloud. He’d known her most of her life, so what did he expect she’d do? She was a fighter. She always had been.

“We’ll get them,” he told her after the paramedics had packed up and left. “Don’t even think of going after them yourself.”

“I’m wounded, remember?”

“Uh-huh. That so-called scratch didn’t stop you tonight, and what about when you went after Ralph Drake for sideswiping your truck last year? You’re lucky he didn’t shoot you.”

“He paid to fix the dent after we had a little conversation.”

“After you hounded him to death and threatened to take him to small claims court and report him for a code violation.”

“I wouldn’t have mentioned that if he’d just agreed to pay for the repairs when we first talked. That sunporch he added on wasn’t permitted. He ignored Daddy’s free advice about doing that.” She pulled the afghan up over her chest. Being chilled made her aware that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Tim was a long-time friend of the family, but he was also a man. A very attractive man at that—when he wasn’t angry.

“My point is you have the Crossroads police force on your side. You don’t have to take on the world by yourself, Alexandra.”

She scowled at him, but he’d already glanced down at his phone.

“It’s nearly four. Maybe we can get some sleep. CSI will be out here in the morning to look at the garage and check for tire tracks. If you’d called 911, we might have been able to set up a roadblock to catch them.”

“Or one more bullet in Daddy’s rifle would have done the trick.” She wasn’t going to admit to him that maybe she’d screwed up by not calling 911 for help before she’d confronted the thieves. Not when he was talking to her as if she were a child.

He groaned. “You’re as stubborn as they come.”

She wasn’t going to argue with him anymore. Picking up her coffee cup, she rose to take it to the kitchen. She’d only had a few sips but felt as wired as if she’d drunk a gallon of his strong brew. “You’re right—it is late. Good night, Tim, and, uh, thanks for coming.”

After she rinsed out her cup in the kitchen, she found him still standing in the den. He held Sophie’s kindergarten picture. Her sweet girl’s red curls were a wild cloud around her face. Lexie had forgotten that photos were scheduled for that day and had rushed her to school without taking time to tame it or fasten a bow or barrettes. Even so, her baby looked so sweet with her happy smile and big blue eyes behind her round glasses.

God, she missed her. Even at five, Sophie seemed to know when her mama needed someone to hug her neck.

“I hadn’t realized Sophie was old enough to be in school.” He set the photo down. “I’m staying for the rest of the night. I’ll sleep here on the sofa.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

He glanced at the photo. “No, but I might as well. We’re only talking two hours ’til daylight.”

She hesitated, but only for a moment. His jaw was set; it wasn’t just an offer. Talk about stubborn! But maybe she could sleep knowing she wasn’t alone in the house.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Lexie Gilroy thought running the family construction office for a week would be routine—until thieves rumble off with their brand-new bulldozer before sunrise. She knows one of the criminals. He once saved her life. Now she wants answers, and she’s not waiting for the police to hand them over.

Reporter Jack Huddleston is chasing redemption, and Southern Pines board member Cal Kinney has his own suspicions about missing money. They, too, would rather keep the law at arm’s length while they get their facts straight.

And Crossroads police chief Tim Birch has a big problem of his own. The FBI has informed him of a link between their quiet town, a truck driver stabbed in a bar fight, and an international theft ring.

Secrets here run deeper than anyone guessed. And in Crossroads, loyalty can be the most dangerous weapon of all. If Lexie, Tim, and two unlikely allies don’t trust the right people—and the wrong ones at the right time—they’ll be the next names added to a killer’s list.

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Meet the Author:

Carol Light is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal lives with a crime that they must use their talents and wits to solve. She’s traveled worldwide and lived in Australia for eight years, teaching high school English and learning to speak “Strine.” Florida is now her home. If she’s not at the beach or writing, you can find her tackling quilting in much the same way that she figures out her mysteries—piece by piece, clue by clue. You can also follow me on BlueSky.
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