A Place to Call Home

“A page-turning thriller” – Amazon Review

Three people involved in a bed of lies.

Two little girls refusing to tell what they saw.

One woman intent to discover the truth.

When tech consultant, Susan O’Neil, finds two starving children digging through her trash, her first instinct is to help. Her second is to call the only person she believes she can trust: Jim Russell, the charming, childhood friend who broke her heart and is now the town detective. But Cassie and Ellie aren’t just hungry runaways—they’re witnesses to a heinous crime that leads to the dark depths of the underworld.

Unaware that Cassie and Ellie’s past is a political time bomb, Susan and Jim follow a trail of deception from the opulent halls of Baltimore’s city government to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. They risk their lives and their hearts to uncover a shadowy conspiracy concealing countless untold secrets. As the body count rises, Susan and Jim realize they’re up against a killer more ruthless than they ever imagined—and his network of influence runs deeper than they ever feared.

The sequel to the Chincoteague Island Trilogy promises more of the romance and intrigue readers have come to love.

Excerpt

“What are you doing in here, Ellie? Do you wanna get us in trouble? We have to get out of here. You know we’re not allowed…” The front door opened, causing Cassie to jump. She squeezed under the desk with Ellie.

“Do you think he’ll know we’re here?” Ellie whispered.

“You better hope not, Ellie. Now, shush!”

Beneath the front panel of the desk, they watched as the door to the office swung open and Mr. Moore’s highly polished shoes moved nearer. They held their breath when he stopped just inches from their hiding place, their wide eyes staring at the tips of his shoes. They heard a click and then…

“Alex, we’ve got problems,” said a familiar voice. “Reynolds just called me, and he’s gone nuts. He’s on his way over to your place. His wife is leaving him, and he’s blaming us. He says he’s not covering for us anymore. Says he’s going to the press with what he knows about Cassie and Ellie and about the company. All the money in the world won’t keep them from running with this story, Alex. If he talks, nobody can stop this, not even your people.” Another click, and the room was quiet.

Cassie and Ellie looked at each other in alarm. Mr. Moore started to come around the desk but was stopped by a loud pounding on the front door.

“Open up, Mr. Moore,” someone yelled. “If you don’t let me in, I’ll blow the door handle off.”

Mr. Moore hesitated for a moment then started across the room toward the front hall. The girls huddled down and peeked out from under the desk. They watched him go into the foyer and both jumped when they heard a loud bang and the sound of the front door flying open. They saw shards of wood rain down in the office doorway.