Showing results by author "Edie Claire" in All Categories

Leigh Koslow doesn't care who claims to see the specter of a Civil War soldier skulking around her neighbor's farm; she does not believe in ghosts. Never mind that the farm in question was settled by a veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg, and never mind that its occupants have complained of floating lights, shadowy figures, and poltergeist-style vandalism for a solid half century. When her amiable neighbor Archie Pratt, beloved captain of a local unit of reenactors, vanishes from the farmhouse without a trace, Leigh is certain there is a rational explanation.

Leigh's back in this sixth installment of the Leigh Koslow Mysteries. Hapless advertising copywriter Leigh Koslow, who was last seen joyfully announcing to her politician husband that she was pregnant, is now a middle-aged mom who is more than happy to leave the macabre pandemonium of her 30s behind. Unfortunately, Leigh's killer karma hasn't really deserted her; it's only been biding its time. When an innocent walk in thewoods with her dog turns up a corpse, Leigh begins to get worried.

Leigh's Aunt Bess has decided that an abandoned building in the small Pittsburgh borough of West View would make the perfect theater for her troupe of local thespians, and when she sets her mind to something, it generally happens. Never mind that the building boasts a century-long history of nefarious owners, financial default, mysterious disappearances, drunken debauchery, regular break-ins, strange nighttime lights, at least one murder, and last but not least - that nagging little accusation of devil worship.

One horrible night 15 years ago, a little girl named Maddie was taken away from the island paradise she treasured, the townspeople she loved, and the playmate who shared her soul. Now, she's coming back to them. Maddie was only a child in those idyllic, carefree days when she and her best friend Kai swam in the ocean, fished, hiked, and stargazed on the tropical island of Lana'i.

On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Meara O'Rourke can't help but feel alone. With her last remaining relative newly buried and her potentially disastrous engagement freshly broken, she makes a resolution to begin her life anew - only to have an unexpected phone call turn her whole world upside down. Her biological mother, Sheila, whom she met only once six years before, lies in critical condition in a nearby hospital. And though the woman once refused to see her daughter ever again - her last wish is just the opposite.

Life dealt her heart a terrible blow as a newborn. With time, she learned to love again. But with him, time is running out. Marine biologist Ri Sullivan had a rough start in life. A biracial baby abandoned in a Moscow train station, she spent eight months in a Russian orphanage before being adopted by a devoted couple from the coast of Maine. Her family weathered years of painful attachment difficulties, and now the spirited, resilient 25-year-old has no conscious memory of ever feeling insecure.

Haley knew that carrying her twin sister's baby would be a sacrifice. She just didn't know how great. Pregnant, overworked, and driven to the end of her rope by the neediness of the sister and widowed mother who depend on her, a high-powered young attorney seeks refuge with a week's vacation on the Alaskan coast.

You can't run away from your past. But in some cases, it's worth a try. Sarah Landers' parents were killed in a plane crash when she was 17; her only sister committed suicide days after. Now, nearly a decade later, Sarah assures everyone she is perfectly fine - never mind her quiet aloofness, her intensity at work, her seeming neglect of any social life. Only Sarah knows the whole story. Only she is aware of the dark memories that plague her with guilt - of the fear of discovery that paralyzes her soul.