At first, the townspeople accept the initial ruling of an accidental drowning, despite the fact that the boy's body wasn’t discovered when the lifeguards searched the pool earlier in the day after his sister reported him missing. However, when an autopsy reveals an unanticipated result, it sets in motion a search for a killer, in a town unaccustomed to murder. The story is told from the perspective of three members of the community: a twelve year old boy with a future he hopes to avoid; a sheriff with a past he longs to forget; and a forty year old bachelor with a secret he wants desperately to protect. Their stories all come together in a stunning and heart-stopping conclusion that helps to provide each of them a measure of redemption.Librarian please note:This is an alternate cover edition. The original ISBN numbers are:ISBN10 - 0615757588ISBN13 - 9780615757582

    When the teen refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate the traumatizing case on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

    He strikes in broad daylight, yet no one ever sees him.His target?Garden gnomes ...

    

    She enjoys glowing reviews, praise from friends and family, and all the excitement that comes from being published. But her celebration is cut short when she becomes the primary suspect for a real life murder. One of the sources she used while writing her novels has been shot, and Cassie is the last to have seen him alive. With her passion for research, she always wanted a firsthand view of the Baltimore City Police Department's inner workings. She never dreamed she'd get that experience by being taken in for questioning as a suspect. When another of her experts is murdered a few days later, she decides it s time to investigate matters firsthand, much to the displeasure of James Whittaker, the homicide detective assigned to the case. Before more friends die... or before Cassie herself is targeted.