"A high school tradition takes a deadly turn and a killer crushes the competition in the second suspense-filled thriller following Dying to Win.
Senior year isn’t supposed to end like this—with the death of a fellow student. Now, instead of fun times with good friends, there is fear and mourning. The girl who was to be crowned queen of the annual Peach Blossom Festival has been brutally murdered, leaving behind a trail of broken bonds and malicious rumors in her wake . . .
While the contest is being rescheduled, class computer whiz Hope Hubbard is determined to find the killer. No one is above suspicion. Not Hope’s crush Jess Gardner, who was seen buying rope and a wrench before driving through town with the victim on the last night of her life. Not the ambitious reporter for the local tabloid, who could make her career writing about this case. And certainly not the three remaining Peach Blossom Queen contestants. Just how far would they go to get the full scholarship and Hollywood screen test that comes with winning the crown?
Hope must tread carefully, because someone caught her snooping around and has threatened her life if she doesn’t stop. All she can do is rely on the loyalty of lifelong friends, all of whom have their own secrets to hide . . ."
"A murderous senior year kicks off this twist-filled series with “a slickly constructed plot, a bouncy narrative and an abundance of cliffhangers” (Publishers Weekly).
The town of Paradiso, California, is abuzz during the lead-up to its annual Peach Blossom Festival. This year, the theme is the 1950s, so the locals are already calling the soon-to-be-named queen, “Peggy Sue” after the Buddy Holly song. The four finalists are all seniors at the high school, with an equal chance of winning the crown—or dying . . .
Wealthy and beautiful Lacey Pinkerton is the favorite, since she already rules the school. But her developer father is facing pushback on plans to build a new mall on the endangered scrublands. Activist Raven Cruz has set her mind on becoming an environmental lawyer and desperately needs the full scholarship that comes with being crowned. Kiki De Santis is getting pressured to drop out of the running so her best friend Lacey can win, while April Lovewell is the dark horse. A talented artist, her dream of getting out of Paradiso with her biker boyfriend could come true if she’s named queen. They’re four girls with a lot to win—and lose—but one won’t survive the week. Let the games begin . . ."
"The murder of a first-place winner rocks a small-town high school in the third thriller from the author of Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die.
With the killer of the Peach Blossom Queen still on the loose and the festival on hold, everyone is on edge in the small town of Paradiso, California. Amid all the horror and sorrow, one good thing has happened: the hunkiest guy in school likes Hope Hubbard. It’s a dream come true for the high school computer whiz (and sometimes bookie). But she’s not betting on everything getting back to normal soon.
As a tornado of rumors swirls through town, a few suspects are cleared while others emerge. The killer could be anyone—a respected citizen, the school’s heartthrob teacher, a best friend, even a boyfriend. The three candidates still in the running for Peach Blossom Queen must rethink their strategies. And even when Hope discovers a pivotal piece of evidence, it may be to too late to save the town’s reputation—and the next victim."
"In the heart-stopping series finale from the author of If Looks Could Kill, a new festival queen is crowned, putting her in the crosshairs of a killer.
With a suspect who has confessed to the murder of the Peach Blossom Queen behind bars, the cloud over Paradiso, California, has lifted. Along with everyone else, high school senior and part-time sleuth Hope Hubbard is relieved to move on from the tragedy and flurry of false accusations.
When the new Peach Blossom Queen is announced, the longshot winner realizes that it’s no fun being celebrated by the town when someone you’ve known your whole life is behind bars. Especially when a series of dangerous mishaps have her convinced that the wrong person has been arrested—and she could be the next victim. There’s only one person who can help: Hope.
For Hope, starting up her investigation again would be a pain—and possibly even deadly. But a plan starts to take shape. A trap is sprung. And who it catches will surprise everyone . . ."
"A professional matchmaker with six months to live tries to find her husband's next wife in this poignant novel by a New York Times bestselling author.
Camille Hart, one of Manhattan's most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it's terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she's gone.
But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of 'be careful what you wish for'? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming.
At once deeply felt and witty, The Replacement Wife is an unforgettable story of love and family, and a refreshing look at the unexpected paths that lead us to our own happy endings."
"A woman escaping a violent past finds new friendships, romance, and tenuous sanctuary in an emotionally gripping novel by New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge.
On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a neglected dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted group of women called the Tattooed Ladies Club. They’re there for Kyra—and for each other.
The maternal Frannie is a tattoo artist struggling with a troubled daughter. Suzy is a self-described fashionista grandma bearing a painful estrangement from her son. Then there’s Jo, whose enviable marriage is coming undone. And bookstore owner Marisol. She longs for the kind of romance she only reads about. For them, and for Kyra, fortunes can change.
Just as Kyra parlays her artistic talents into a new career, and finally meets a man she can trust in and love, her ex tracks her down. He has a twisted plan to upend everything she now holds dear. Marshaling her renewed power and wisdom, Kyra will stop at nothing to put the past behind her. Once and for all. Whatever it takes."
"With a Hollywood movie about to start filming in the California seaside town of Cypress Bay, Tish Ballard, owner of Rest Easy Property Management, welcomes her first celebrity tenant. Delilah Ward isn't your typical beautiful, spoiled actress; she's America's sweetheart. Even Tish is charmed by the young star, which makes her gruesome discovery of Delilah's bloodied corpse all the more gut-wrenching. With so much at stake, Tish has no choice but to do whatever it takes to lure a crafty killer out of hiding. Swimsuit Body is the 2nd novel in the Cypress Bay Mysteries, which began with Bones and Roses, but the books can be read and enjoyed in any order."
"From home invasions to cheating spouses, Rest Easy Property Management owner Leticia Tish Ballard thought she'd seen it all. Almost four years sober after flambeing her real estate career in an alcohol-fueled blowout, she's finally in a good place in her life when the discovery of skeletal human remains rocks her world and plunges her headlong into solving a decades-old crime. Now she must delve into the darkness of her own past, including the one-night stand gone horribly wrong with Spence Breedlove, who happens to be the lead detective on the case. When the truth comes out at long last, Tish finds herself pitted against an enemy who will stop at nothing in a fight for her own life."
"Rachel and Rose, now women with grown children of their own, find themselves face-to-face at last with the destiny that has haunted them nearly half a century, since the two of them were switched at birth in the chaos of a hospital fire.What confronts them now threatens to uproot a lifetime of deeply buried secrets: the impending marriage of Rose's capable and caring son to Rachel's emotionally troubled daughter. Once again, the two women and their families are pitted against each other...just as Rachel learns that her mother, Sylvie, is dying.Only Rose knows that Sylvie is in reality her mother - and yearns to be recognized as Sylvie's own before it is too late. Sylvie must choose between the intricate web of lies behind which she shields her loved ones...and a truth that will shatter the lives of both her daughters - as well as that of her fragile granddaughter - before it can begin to heal them."
"Psychologist Ellie Nightingale is haunted by the kidnapping of her baby daughter twenty-three years ago. Years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive another child have left her with a fierce desire to adopt - an obsession that is driving a wedge between her and her husband....Former equestrienne Kate Sutton's hopes for both show-jumping stardom and a family are shattered in a fateful fall from a horse. Yet the miscarriage also brings her an abandoned infant she and her husband claim as their own daughter. Then she reads the headlines about the kidnapped baby and the young mother who lost her, and faces the soul-wrenching decision of her life....Skyler Sutton is a young champion for whom no hurdle is ever too high - until she's challenged by her seemingly impossible love for Tony Salvatore, a tough-talking New York mounted policeman. Too soon for anyone's good, she is pregnant. And Tony knows a woman therapist who wants a baby more than anything in the world...."
"A daughter holds clues to her father's shocking secrets and her mother would risk anything to protect those secrets. Grace Truscott, in the biography of her father - a great civil rights advocate and Senator - raises questions about a death. Was her own father guilty of killing Ned Emory, the husband of his African-American secretary?Only one person, the secretary's daughter Nola, knows what really happened, but Nola is guarding a dark secret of her own. While Grace is struggling with a second marriage - melding his children and hers into a new family - the scandal breaks!From New York to the gracious old mansions and fragrant gardens of Georgia, Eileen Goudge's novel will touch the heart of every woman who has loved and lost...and who has found the courage to love again."
"On the eve of their fortieth wedding anniversary, the Seagraves are among the most enviable couples of Miramonte, California, and still deeply in love - until the night Lydia Seagrave picks up a gun and shoots her husband. Novelist Daphne returns home and is forced to contend not only with her father’s murder but also with her undeniable feelings for the only man she has ever loved - the D.A. who is prosecuting her mother. Youngest daughter Alex is determined to clear her father’s name. Kitty sets out to vindicate her mother and enters headlong into a passionate love affair with a younger man. As the devastated sisters come together to unravel the family lies, they must each rebuild a life that is honest, even at the risk of being painful."
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
