New Releases by Brenda Novak

Her Darkest Nightmare, first in an electrifying series from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER Evelyn Talbot knows that a psychopath can look perfectly normal. She was only sixteen when her own boyfriend Jasper imprisoned and tortured her—and left her for dead. Now an eminent psychiatrist who specializes in the criminal mind, Evelyn is the force behind Hanover House, a maximum-security facility located in a small Alaskan town. Her job puts her at odds with Sergeant Amarok, who is convinced that Hanover is a threat to his community...even as his attraction to beautiful Evelyn threatens to tear his world apart. BEGINS WITH AN ESCAPE FROM HER PAST Then, just as the bitter Alaskan winter cuts both town and prison off from the outside world, the mutilated body of a local woman turns up. For Amarok, this is the final proof he needs: Hanover has to go. Evelyn, though, has reason to fear that the crime is a personal message to her—the first sign that the killer who haunts her dreams has found her again. . .and that the life she has so carefully rebuilt will never be the same... “Brenda Novak''s seamless plotting, emotional intensity, and true-to-life characters...make her books completely satisfying.”—New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

New York Times–Bestselling Author: A police detective comes home to Mississippi to make a new start—but soon finds herself pulled into an old mystery . . . Every town has its secrets—and Stillwater, Mississippi, has more than most. Starting with the disappearance of the Reverend Lee Barker nineteen years ago. The locals are convinced he was murdered by his stepson, Clay Montgomery. But only Clay—and his mother and sisters—can say for sure. They were the only ones there that fateful night, the only ones who know what really happened. And they’re not talking. Allie McCormick is a cold-case detective from Chicago. After a particularly difficult divorce, she’s returned to Stillwater with her six-year-old daughter to find the peace she once knew in her hometown, and to work for the local police force while she’s starting over. But when Clay’s powerful enemies join forces to put him behind bars, Allie feels duty bound to uncover the truth. Her instincts tell her he didn’t murder the Reverend Lee Barker. Clay may be a dark and brooding man, but he was just sixteen at the time. And he’s not a cold-blooded killer. At least, that’s what Allie believes—until she learns that behind the preacher’s pious demeanor lurked the heart of a monster. Then she has to ask herself whether justice has already been done . . . Praise for the Stillwater Trilogy “Strong characters bring the escalating suspense to life, and the mystery is skillfully played out. Novak’s smooth plotting makes for a great read.” —Publishers Weekly “A compelling new series . . . Novak expertly mixes her usual superior characterization with a chilling sense of evil.” —Booklist “A taut, spine-tingling story.” —Christine Feehan

A body lies hidden in a small Mississippi town . . . First in the “compelling” romantic suspense series by the New York Times–bestselling author (Booklist). There’s a body buried behind a Mississippi farmhouse. Grace Montgomery knows who it is, and she knows why it happened. She was only thirteen the night it all went wrong. And now, like then, she has no choice but to keep her mouth shut. Grace left the town of Stillwater years ago, trying to forget, trying to make good. As an assistant D.A. in Jackson, she’s finally achieved the success that was supposed to change her life. But it hasn’t—so she’s come back to confront her own history. Which means returning to the farmhouse now owned by her brother and facing the people of Stillwater, a number of whom suspect the truth. Widower Kennedy Archer is one of those people. He’s running for mayor and needs to stay as far away from Grace as possible. And yet . . . she’s an enigma he can’t resist. Even though her enemies are close to finding out what really happened—and that could ruin them both. Praise for the Stillwater Trilogy “Strong characters bring the escalating suspense to life . . . a great read.” —Publishers Weekly “Novak expertly mixes her usual superior characterization with a chilling sense of evil.” —Booklist “Spine-tingling.” —Christine Feehan

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Novak brings you a trilogy that Publishers Weekly called \"a great read.\" Every town has its secrets—and Stillwater, Mississippi, has more than most! Starting with a murder almost twenty years ago… Three compelling connected novels of suspense: DEAD SILENCE, DEAD GIVEAWAY and DEAD RIGHT. Bet you can''t read just one!

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak presents a suspenseful story of a woman searching for the truth. Maggie Russell, a police reporter in Sacramento, works the night shift, and she''s finally stumbled on the big crime story that will truly establish her career—if it doesn''t end her life. A serial killer who moves from one city to the next. As if things aren''t complicated enough, Nick Sorenson, the paper''s new photographer, seems to be taking an unusual interest in this case. And in her. Maggie doesn''t realize that she''s falling in love with a man who''s not what he seems to be. A man whose deceptions may save her life.

Country music artist Lourdes Bennett plans to stay in Whiskey Creek only long enough to write the songs for her next album, but as she comes to know her landlord Kyle, Lourdes wonders if she''d be making a terrible mistake to leave him behind.

Join the many readers who''ve fallen in love with Whiskey Creek,the Northern California town created by New York Times bestsellingauthor Brenda Novak. HOME TO WHISKEY CREEK When Adelaide Davies has returned to Whiskey Creek to take care of her aging grandmother, sheisn''t happy to be back—there are too many people here who wereinvolved in that terrible June night fifteen years ago, people she''drather avoid. But popular and successful Noah Rackham is shocked whenAdelaide won''t have anything to do with him. He has no idea that hisvery presence reminds her of something she''d rather forget. He onlyknows that he''s finally met a woman he could love. TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town''s Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love sheonce scorned. But Sophia has paid the price—the man she did marry wasrich and powerful but abusive. When he goes missing, she learns thathe died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm, leaving herpenniless and forced to face all the townspeople he cheated. Desperatefor work, she accepts a job as housekeeper for Ted, now a successfulwriter. He refuses to get emotionally involved, but will the holidaysbring them another chance at happiness? COME HOME TO ME When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek withher little boy, she has completely changed her life. Now she''s back inthe small town that was the closest thing to “home” she ever knew.There''s just one catch. Aaron Amos still lives in Whiskey Creek, andno matter how hard she''s tried, Presley hasn''t been able to get overhim. She''s come too far to backslide now. And there''s a secret she''sbeen guarding—a secret she''ll do anything to protect.

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has written more than fifty novels. She is also a mother of five, and there is nothing that turns a woman into a fighter more quickly than a threat to one of her children. When her youngest son was in kindergarten, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She’s spent the years since trying to juggle her career with the demands of providing healthy meals for her large and boisterous family, managing her son’s diabetes care and raising money for research. To date, she’s raised $2.5 million and is continuing her efforts with the sale of this cookbook, which includes her own personal recipes (all her healthy favorites) along with recipes collected from friend and co-author Jan Coad. For more about Brenda’s fundraising efforts, please visit www.brendanovakforthecure.org, where you will learn her latest fundraising endeavor--a limited-edition digital boxed set titled ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS that includes fourteen Christmas novellas from some of today’s most popular authors (she''s put her own Rita-nominated \"A Dundee Christmas\" in it). All proceeds for 2016 will go to Boston University to help Dr. Ed Damiano (who also has a son with Type 1) finish engineering the artificial pancreas, which is an important step toward keeping diabetics healthy until that elusive biological cure can be found. Download ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS today for only $9.99 (less then $1/story), and help Brenda make a difference!

A woman is released from prison after seventeen years for a murder she swears she didn''t commit. All she wants to do is to return to her town and to get to know her son. But the son''s father isn''t exactly welcoming...

Jenna Livingston: age 32. Divorced. Mother of 8-year-old Ryan. And…pregnant. She''s pregnant by her ex-husband. A man she has reason to fear… With her son, Ryan, Jenna''s moved back to Mendocino, where she''s living and working at the Victoriana Bed and Breakfast. It''s owned the by elderly Durhams—whose grandsom, Adam, was her first love. And, in some ways, her last…. But that was fifteen years ago, before Adam abandoned her and his family for the bright lights and big city. For a successful career and a fast-track life. When Adam and Jenna rediscover each other, he wants her back. But much as Jenna knows she could love him again, she also knows there are too many obstacles between them. Too much history. Too many expectations. And now…her baby. But Adam;s a very determined man. A man she had reason to love…

When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek with her little boy, and a dark secret, all she wants to do is spend time with her sister, but thoughts of past flame Aaron Amos keep getting in the way.

A former mean girl gets a big holiday serving of humble pie when she must take a job as a housekeeper to pay her now-deceased husband''s debts, and she gets some unexpected help from suspense writer Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.

Jaclyn Wentworth estaba sola al cuidado de sus tres hijos. Había estado casada con el niño bonito de la pequeña ciudad de Nevada en la que había vivido. Su matrimonio había resultado un desastre porque su marido no había conseguido madurar y menos aún convertirse en un buen padre. Ahora Jaclyn vivía en Reno y allí un día se encontró ni más ni menos que con Cole Perrini, que siempre había sido el máximo enemigo de su exmarido y el dueño de la peor reputación de Nevada. Y parecía seguir siendo muy diferente a su inmaduro esposo…

Someone tried to kill her twelve years ago Teenagers Sheridan Kohl and Jason Wyatt were parked at the lake in Whiterock, Tennessee, when a stranger wearing a ski mask shot them both. Sheridan lived but Jason died—and the stranger was never caught. Even though Sheridan''s family moved away right afterward, she''s never been able to put the crime behind her. And now that someone doesn''t want her to come home Because of a new development in the case, Sheridan returns to Whiterock. But when she''s attacked a second time, it''s only because of Jason''s stepbrother, Cain Granger, that she survives—and Cain''s the last person she wants to face. If not for their history, if not for her, Jason wouldn''t have been in that parked car. Cain knows that whoever killed his brother probably isn''t a stranger at all. But figuring out that person''s identity is easier said than done—especially since the killer seems to be taunting them both: watch me.

The people of Stillwater, Mississippi, are asking questions about murder. Again. Twenty years ago Madeline Barker''s father disappeared. Despite what everyone else thinks, Madeline''s convinced her stepfamily had nothing to do with it. But the recent discovery of his car finally proves he didn''t just drive away. Worse, the police find something in the trunk that says there''s more to this case than murder. With no other recourse, Madeline decides to hire a private investigator—even if the cops don''t like it. Even if her family doesn''t like it. But when P.I. Hunter Solozano begins to uncover some shocking evidence, someone in Stillwater is determined to put a stop to Madeline''s search for the truth. And that means putting a stop to her. Permanently.

A mother faces her greatest fear One afternoon in May, Zoe Duncan''s thirteen-year-old daughter goes missing from her own backyard. The police think Samantha ran away because she''s unhappy about her mother''s upcoming marriage—but Zoe doesn''t believe it. In fact, she''s willing to do anything to bring Sam home, even if it means losing her job, her beautiful home, her fiancé. Even if it means divulging all her secrets to a private investigator. A detective faces his hardest case Jonathan Stivers is a P.I. who donates his time to The Last Stand, a victims'' charity in Sacramento. He''s good at what he does, the best. But never has he had fewer leads to work with—or been more attracted to a client. Jonathan''s sure of only one thing: Sam was taken by someone close to the family. He doesn''t know how close until he realizes that the \"perfect\" couple next door is anything but….

What''s a daughter to do? Three brand-new stories…three exasperating moms Abby Ashton''s roommate-from-hell…her mother. If she doesn''t get her parents back together, she''ll go crazy. So Abby schemes to get them to Mexico with her, hoping the vacation will lead to romance. And it does—for Abby and race-car driver \"Gunner\" Stevens! Tall, dark and charming Jason Lawrence keeps visiting Mel Anders''s veterinary clinic—with everything from a drooling St. Bernard to a potbelly pig. And the man doesn''t even seem to like animals. Hmm…Mel is mighty suspicious—but she never suspects her mom…. Avery Rice is way too overprotective of her widowed mother. So when Mom gets a new man in her life, she enlists her cute tenant, David Marks, to keep Avery off the trail. And of course she''s matchmaking. She''s Mom!

Desperate to save her PR firm, which has accumulated a roster of A-list clients, Gail DeMarco agrees to pose as high-profile actor Simon O''Neal''s wife so that he can get custody of his son.

You''re invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country Unfortunately, it''s the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it''s the hardest thing she''s ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year…. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she''s pregnant. All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle''s making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle''s determined to go through with it, for his child''s sake. Olivia''s devastated, but surprisingly Brandon—the black sheep of the family—is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn''t the right man for her…. But is Brandon?

Cuando el capitán de la Fuerza Aérea Luke Trussell abrió la puerta el domingo por la mañana, se asustó al encontrarse a la policía. Y el impacto fue mayor al enterarse de que le habían denunciado por violación. Sabía que había cometido un error la noche anterior, pero, desde luego, no había sido él quien había forzado la atención de una mujer que llevaba meses acosándole. El problema era que Kalyna Harter tenía lesiones y restos de ADN en su cuerpo que daban crédito a su acusación. Decidida a aislar completamente a Luke, Kalyna buscó la ayuda de Ava Bixby, una abogada que trabajaba defendiendo los derechos de las víctimas. Pero Ava no tardó en darse cuenta de que estaba defendiendo a quien no lo merecía. El problema era que prestar su ayuda a Luke podía ser peligroso, sobre todo tras haberse enamorado de él. Porque Kalyna no estaba dispuesta a perder al hombre que quería.

Revenue à Stillwater avec sa petite Whitney pour oublier un passé difficile, Allie McCormick, brillant officier de police, est fermement décidée à faire toute la lumière sur le drame qui a bouleversé la ville durant son adolescence : la mystérieuse disparition du révérend Barker, dix-neuf ans plus tôt. Depuis, les soupçons les plus noirs, les rumeurs les plus graves, n’ont cessé de circuler dans la région... Des rumeurs terribles, accusant Clay Montgomery, le fils adoptif du révérend, d’avoir tué son beau-père et dissimulé son corps. Mais un soupçon n’a rien d’une preuve pour Allie, quels que soient ses doutes et la surprise qu’elle éprouve en découvrant, au lieu de l’adolescent au charme ténébreux dont elle a gardé le souvenir, un homme taciturne et solitaire, qui semble porter le poids d’un lourd secret. Intriguée, Allie veut à tout prix découvrir s’il est ou non l’assassin qu’elle est venue démasquer.

An anthology of three novellas celebrating real-life heroines--women who have changed lives through good deeds.

Jaclyn Wentworth is on her own with three little kids. She used to be married to the golden boy of their small Nevada town, but the marriage was a disaster because the golden boy never grew up. And he sure wasn''t much of a daddy. Now Jaclyn''s living in Reno, making it on her own. And who, of all people, does she run into there but Cole Perrini, bad boy of Feld, Nevada. Or should she say former bad boy? He was always her ex-husband''s opposite in every way—and he still is. Because Cole''s made good in every sense of the word. Jaclyn and Cole both have their reasons for being cautious, but with a love like theirs it''s bound to be a special holiday season.

Laurel Hodges has been on the run for the last four years. She''s finally found peace and stability in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when Laurel thinks she and her children are safe, the nightmare starts all over again. Original.

Virgil Skinner served fourteen years for a murder he didn''t commit. He''s finally been exonerated, but he can''t escape the gang he joined in order to survive. They''ll do anything to keep him from telling what he knows. And if they can''t get to Virgil they''ll go after his sister and her kids. The California Department of Corrections needs someone to infiltrate another gang, one that''s taking control of the state''s most notorious supermax. Virgil agrees to do it under an alias—in exchange for his sister''s protection. Chief Deputy Warden Peyton Adams is opposed to having Virgil in her prison. How will she protect him if things go bad? Besides, she''s far too attracted to him; she might even be falling in love with him. That makes her all the more desperate to keep him safe—and it gives him someone else to lose.

The bodies of seven women have been discovered in Skull Valley, Arizona. Jonah Young, a private security operative from Department 6, has been hired by the Yavapai County sheriff to assist in solving these murders. But Jonah''s not prepared for the complications that arise when he''s forced to work with a woman from his past, private investigator Francesca Moretti. Jonah betrayed Francesca ten years ago. She hasn''t forgiven him and she''s pretty sure she never will. But the woman she was hired to find has been murdered in exactly the same way as the seven in Skull Valley, so, Francesca has to work with Jonah. They quickly zero in on the most likely suspect—but questions remain. Questions they have to answer. Because if they bet on the wrong man, it might be the last thing they ever do….

Partie vivre à San Francisco le coeur débordant de rêves, Katie Rogers a peu à peu découvert avec stupeur qu''Andy, son fiancé, n''était absolument pas l''homme qu''elle pensait connaître. Deux ans plus tard, enceinte et sans argent, elle retourne vivre dans sa petite ville natale de Dundee bien décidée à reprendre son destin en main. Mais quand, sur le chemin du retour, sa voiture tombe en panne par une terrible nuit de tempête, elle cède au découragement. C''est pourtant là, au moment où elle s''y attend le moins, que Booker Robinson, l''homme à qui elle a autrefois brisé le coeur pour suivre Andy, vient à son secours et lui propose l''hospitalité. Emue et surprise que Booker puisse se montrer si généreux avec elle, Katie accepte sa proposition. Immédiatement assaillie par d''anciens souvenirs, en proie à des sentiments contradictoires, Katie doute : pourra-t-elle un jour regagner la confiance de Booker alors qu''elle porte le fils d''Andy ? A propos de l''auteur : Depuis son premier livre, publié en 1999, Brenda Novak a régulièrement figuré parmi les auteurs sélectionnés dans le cadre de prestigieux prix littéraires. Ses romans, empreints selon Publishers Weekly d''une « forte intensité dramatique », se caractérisent par des personnages superbement dépeints, un style fluide et élégant, et surtout une grande finesse de l’analyse psychologique.

He''s a man from the past—and a man with a past… When Harley Nelson got on his motorcycle and drove out of Portland, Oregon, 10 years ago, he left behind a bad reputation—and a baby. Audra Worthington was the reason for both. Well, the baby, anyway. The reputation he already had. It''s why rich girl Audra fell for him in the first place. Now Audra''s dead. His son, Brandon, is being raised by her family—good girl Lauren, the perfect daughter, and her uncompromising parents. But Harley''s a self-made success down in California and he''s ready to take responsibility for his son. She''s a woman who knows trouble when she sees it…. And Harley Nelson''s trouble. He''s shown up at her door, saying he wants to get to know his son—10 years too late, in Lauren''s opinion. Too bad he didn''t stick by her sister, Audra, when he got her pregnant. (At least, that''s the story Lauren''s always heard.) And too bad he still looks so good in that black leather jacket….

It happened one snowy night… When Chantel Miller gets lost during an unexpected snowstorm, a stranger named Dillon Broderick rescues her. In the hours they spend together they become very close and the intimacy of that night creates a special bond between them. But real life intervenes. The woman Chantel was on her way to see is her sister, Stacy. They''ve been estranged for 10 years and Chantel is determined to regain her affection. The woman Dillon was on his way to see is…Stacy. They''ve been friends for some time but now there''s an added complication. Stacy''s in love with him. Which means Chantel can''t pursue a relationship with Dillon. Even when she discovers she''s pregnant because of that snowy night…

Jaclyn Wentworth is on her own with three little kids. She used to be married to the golden boy—former golden boy—of their small Nevada town. The marriage was a disaster because her ex-husband never grew up. And he sure wasn''t much of a daddy. Now Jaclyn''s living in Reno. And who, of all people, does she run into there but Cole Perrini, bad boy of Feld, Nevada. Former bad boy. He was her ex-husband''s opposite in every way—and he still is. Because Cole''s made good in every sense of the word. Will Jaclyn and her children get the husband and father they deserve? Not a Scrooge, but a Santa!