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How It Happened
by Michael Koryta"And that is how it happened. Can we stop now?"Kimberly Crepeaux is no good, a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother, and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story. Not Rob Barrett, the FBI investigator and interrogator specializing in telling a true confession from a falsehood. He's been circling Kimberly and her conspirators for months, waiting for the right avenue to the truth, and has finally found it. He knows, as strongly as he's known anything, that Kimberly's story-a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood-is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: where are Jackie and Ian's bodies?After Barrett stakes his name and reputation on the truth of Kimberly's confession, only to have the bodies turn up 200 miles from where she said they'd be, shot in the back and covered in a different suspect's DNA, the case is quickly closed and Barrett forcibly reassigned. But for Howard Pelletier, the tragedy of his daughter's murder cannot be so tidily swept away. And for Barrett, whose career may already be over, the chance to help a grieving father may be the only one he has left.HOW IT HAPPENED is a frightening, tension-filled ride into the dark heart of rural American from a writer Stephen King has called "a master" and the New York Times has deemed "impossible to resist."
How The Light Gets In: (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 9) (Chief Inspector Gamache)
by Louise PennyNOMINATED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGERThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.As a fierce, unrelenting winter grips Quebec, shadows are closing in on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. When he receives a message about a mysterious case in Three Pines, he is compelled to investigate - a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world has vanished.The investigation gathers momentum and Gamache is drawn into a web of murder, lies and unimaginable corruption at the heart of the city. Facing his most challenging, and personal, case to date, can he save the reputation of the Sûreté, those he holds dear and himself?'Full of twists and turns . . . Wonderfully satisfying' KATE MOSSE(P) 2014 Isis Publishing Limited
How The Light Gets In: (A Chief Inspector Gamache Mystery Book 9) (Chief Inspector Gamache #9)
by Louise PennyNOMINATED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGERThere is more to solving a crime than following the clues.Welcome to Chief Inspector Gamache's world of facts and feelings.As a fierce, unrelenting winter grips Quebec, shadows are closing in on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. When he receives a message about a mysterious case in Three Pines, he is compelled to investigate - a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world has vanished.The investigation gathers momentum and Gamache is drawn into a web of murder, lies and unimaginable corruption at the heart of the city. Facing his most challenging, and personal, case to date, can he save the reputation of the Sûreté, those he holds dear and himself?Ten million readers.Three pines.One inimitable Chief Inspector Gamache.'Full of twists and turns . . . Wonderfully satisfying' KATE MOSSE
How The Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Gamache #9)
by Louise PennyThe #1 New York Times Best Seller "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. " --Leonard Cohen Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it's a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn't spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman was once one of the most famous people not just in North America, but in the world, and now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except the mad, brilliant poet Ruth Zardo. As events come to a head, Gamache is drawn ever deeper into the world of Three Pines. Increasingly, he is not only investigating the disappearance of Myrna's friend but also seeking a safe place for himself and his still-loyal colleagues Is there peace to be found even in Three Pines, and at what cost to Gamache and the people he holds dear? How the Light Gets In is the ninth Chief Inspector Gamache Novel from Louise Penny. One of Publishers Weekly's Best Mystery/Thriller Books of 2013.
How Like an Angel
by Margaret MillarCalifornia cultists, duplicitous damsels in distress, and dangerously high stakes conspire against Joe Quinn, a private eye who is beginnnig to feel more like a knight-errantJoe Quinn is cut adrift. He's lost everything. His girl. His job. His place in the universe. A security head for a casino in Reno just can't afford to have a gambling problem.Life takes a turn from tragic to strange when Quinn finds himself on the doorsteps of a religious cult's tower in the remote California hills. Quinn hitched a ride from Reno but never thought he'd end up in a place like this. But a gambler has to play the hand he's dealt. When one of the cultists asks Quinn to check on a man named Patrick O'Gorman and slides a not so small amount of money in his jacket, well, that's just the sort of hand Quinn has been looking for. Thing is, Quinn soon finds out, O'Gorman disappeared under bizarre circumstances several years ago. For reasons he doesn't entirely understand, perhaps for the sake of having a purpose, Quinn begins a lurid quest to uncover the truth. What he finds out instead is that there are just as many crazies outside the walls of a cultist tower as there are inside.
How Like A God
by Rex StoutSTAIRWAY TO HOMICIDEUnpublished for more than 50 years, HOW LIKE A GOD is the earliest masterpiece by an author who would later be named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and become world famous for creating one of the most enduring characters in the mystery genre.In the shadowy stairwell of a New York City brownstone, a man stealthily begins to climb. In the pocket of his coat, a loaded revolver. At the top of the stairs, a woman he intends to kill. But who…?This extraordinary novel by Rex Stout, the legendary creator of Nero Wolfe, is a psychological thriller like none you have ever read. As William Sidney climbs the stairs, you&’ll dive deep into his troubled past, uncovering scandalous secrets and deceptions. And all the while, step by creeping step, he draws closer to a shocking act of violence…
How McGee and Associates Prevented War in Ukraine by Russian Invasion: A Study in Plausible Alternatives, McGee's Last Case
by Carl DouglassHow McGee and Associates Prevented War in Ukraine by Russian Invasion is a “what if? What would the world be like if Ukraine and the United States stopped Russia in its tracks with courage and determination before the Great Bear decimated Ukraine? What if President Sybil Norcroft-Daniels had said “No,” and meant it? What if she got every asset of the US and 47 other nations, McGee and his partners, and the best of the best special ops and cyber warriors involved before day one? What if she determined to bring down the Russian dictator who still-in his atrophied heart—was a shrewd and soulless communist apparatchik? The author can imagine such an outcome in vivid and gripping realism."
How My Book Club Got Arrested (Book Club Trilogy #1)
by Leslie O'KaneTake a zany road trip to Branson, Missouri, with Leslie O’Kane’s HOW MY BOOK CLUB GOT ARRESTED as a group of book lovers get involved in one story too many!A cross-country road trip with the Second Saturday Book Club goes afoul when the four women meet the author of a classic, beloved children’s book at the Ball of Twine in Cawker, Kansas, and offer her a ride to Branson, Missouri. They are on their way to watch their youngest book-club member star in a musical revue with her longtime boyfriend. From the moment they meet author Eugena Crowder, not a single item on their itinerary goes according to plan—not the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede, the Branson Ghost Tour, the Rockin’ Oldies Show, the Hypnotist Dinner Show, not even their monthly book discussion. All hope seems truly lost when their final destination—a visit to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum—is replaced by a stint at the Branson jailhouse! Can their long history together of dissecting plots and analyzing characters help them escape criminal prosecution? Praise for Leslie O’Kane’s books“Humor is never in short supply in this fun, engaging mystery, which is certain to delight fans of cozies.” –Romantic Times “This story is delightful in every way…entertaining, humorous, serious, and totally engrossing from the first page to the last. And sprinkled throughout are tasty decorating tips.” –Midwest Book Review
How Quickly She Disappears
by Raymond Fleischmann&“A novel paced like a thriller but written with the aching grace of literary fiction. A gorgeously dark, harrowing debut.&”—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every DoorThe Dry meets The Silence of the Lambs in this intoxicating tale of literary suspense, set in the relentless Alaskan landscape, about madness and obsession, loneliness and grief, and the ferocious bonds of family.... It's been twenty years since Elisabeth&’s twin sister, Jacqueline, disappeared without a trace. Now thirty-year-old Elisabeth is living far from home in a small Alaskan town. She's in a loveless marriage and has a precocious young daughter she loves more than anything but who reminds her too much of her long-missing sister. But then Alfred, a dangerous stranger with a plan of his own, arrives in town and commits an inexplicable act of violence. And he offers a startling revelation: He knows exactly what happened to Elisabeth's sister, but he'll reveal this truth only if she fulfills his three requests. Increasingly isolated from her neighbors and imprisoned by the bitter cold and her own obsession, Elisabeth can almost hear her sister's voice saying, Come and find me. And so she will, even if it means putting herself—and her family—in danger.
How Secrets Die
by Marta PerryAs Laurel Ridge embraces a stranger hungry for answers, a sinister truth is awakened A hard-hitting reporter, Kate Beaumont unearths the deepest lies and brings harsh truths to light. But the story that lures her to the gentle town of Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, is closer to her heart than anyone knows. The details of her half brother's sudden death have never made sense. She owes him justice, yet the one man who can help her is the stubborn sheriff she can't stand. Protecting his town is Mac Whiting's top priority. Everything else-including pacifying a beautiful crusader on a mission best left resting in peace-is secondary. But as Kate's search embeds her in his world and attracts a skilled criminal, she needs Mac's protection. Drawn together by deadly secrets, they must find a way to trust each other before a killer silences them both.
How Sherlock Pulled the Trick: Spiritualism and the Pseudoscientific Method
by Brian McCuskeyA masterful combination of literary study and author biography, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick guides us through the parallel careers of two inseparable men: Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Reconsidering Holmes in light of Doyle’s well-known belief in Victorian spiritualism, Brian McCuskey argues that the so-called scientific detective follows the same circular logic, along the same trail of questionable evidence, that led Doyle to the séance room.Holmes’s first case, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887, when natural scientists and religious apologists were hotly debating their differences in the London press. In this environment, Doyle became convinced that spiritualism, as a universal faith based on material evidence, resolved the conflict between science and religion. The character of Holmes, with his infallible logic, was Doyle’s good faith solution to the cultural conflicts of his day. Yet this solution has evolved into a new problem. Sherlock Holmes now authorizes the pseudoscience that corrupts our public sphere, defying logic, revising history, and promoting conspiracy theories. As this book demonstrates, wearing a deerstalker does not make you a mastermind—more likely, it marks you as a crackpot.Fascinating and highly readable, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick returns the iconic Holmes to his mystical origins.
How Sherlock Pulled the Trick: Spiritualism and the Pseudoscientific Method
by Brian McCuskeyA masterful combination of literary study and author biography, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick guides us through the parallel careers of two inseparable men: Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Reconsidering Holmes in light of Doyle’s well-known belief in Victorian spiritualism, Brian McCuskey argues that the so-called scientific detective follows the same circular logic, along the same trail of questionable evidence, that led Doyle to the séance room.Holmes’s first case, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887, when natural scientists and religious apologists were hotly debating their differences in the London press. In this environment, Doyle became convinced that spiritualism, as a universal faith based on material evidence, resolved the conflict between science and religion. The character of Holmes, with his infallible logic, was Doyle’s good faith solution to the cultural conflicts of his day. Yet this solution has evolved into a new problem. Sherlock Holmes now authorizes the pseudoscience that corrupts our public sphere, defying logic, revising history, and promoting conspiracy theories. As this book demonstrates, wearing a deerstalker does not make you a mastermind—more likely, it marks you as a crackpot.Fascinating and highly readable, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick returns the iconic Holmes to his mystical origins.
How the Dead Live (Factory Series #3)
by Derek RaymondCan you murder for love?In the third novel of Derek Raymond's acclaimed Factory Series, the nameless detective visits a decrepit country house to look into the case of a disappeared woman.It is, as always for the Detective Sergeant, a deeply unsettling investigation of love and damnation. The woman's husband seems to love her entirely. And yet he seems reluctant to find her, preferring to hide in a house that resembles the set of a horror film. Meanwhile other cops are getting in the way of the Sergeant and he's making new enemies on the force.With growing desperation and his trademark sense of enraged compassion, the Sergeant fights to uncover a murderer not by following analytical procedure, but by doing the most idfficult thing of all: understanding why crimes are committed.From the Trade Paperback edition.
How the Dead Speak: A Tony Hill And Carol Jordan Thriller (Tony Hill and Carol Jordan #11)
by Val McDermidDon't miss the electrifying new Karen Pirie thriller - STILL LIFE is out now___________________The eleventh book in the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, from No. 1 bestselling author Val McDermid.'The queen of crime is still at the top of her game' Independent'No one can tell a story like she can' Daily Express'One of today's most accomplished crime writers' Literary Review'We are all creatures of habit. Even murderers . . .'When human remains are discovered in the grounds of an old convent, it quickly becomes clear that someone has been using the site as their personal burial ground. But with the convent abandoned long ago and bodies dating back many years, could this be the work of more than one obsessive killer?The investigation throws up more questions as the evidence mounts but, after their last disastrous case, Tony Hill and Carol Jordan can only watch from afar. As they deal with the consequences, someone with a terrifying routine is biding their time - and both Tony and Carol find themselves closer to the edge than they have ever been before . . .Masterful and filled with suspense, this is the most electrifying, heart-racing thriller yet from number one bestseller and queen of crime Val McDermid.
How the Dead Speak: A Tony Hill And Carol Jordan Thriller (Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Mysteries #11)
by Val McDermidUnmarked graves are found on the grounds of an old orphanage in this &“riveting&” British crime thriller by an Edgar Award finalist (Publishers Weekly, starred review). With profiler Tony Hill behind bars and Carol Jordan no longer with the police, he&’s finding unexpected outlets for his talents in jail and she&’s joined forces with a group of lawyers and forensics experts looking into suspected miscarriages of justice. But they&’re doing it without each other; being in the same room at visiting hour is too painful to contemplate. Meanwhile, construction is suddenly halted on the redevelopment of an orphanage after dozens of skeletons are found buried at the site. Forensic examination reveals they date from between twenty and forty years ago, when the nuns were running their repressive regime. But then a different set of skeletons is discovered in a far corner—young men from as recent as ten years ago. When newly promoted DI Paula McIntyre discovers that one of the male skeletons is that of a killer who is supposedly alive and behind bars—and the subject of one of Carol&’s miscarriage investigations—it brings Tony and Carol irresistibly into each other&’s orbit once again in this masterfully plotted novel by &“the queen of psychological thrillers&” (Irish Independent).
How the Finch Stole Christmas!: A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries #22)
by Donna AndrewsAs in her previous Christmas mysteries, Six Geese a-Slaying, Duck the Halls, and The Nightingale Before Christmas, Andrews continues to write “firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie’s Christmas books” (Toronto Globe and Mail).New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews takes us home to Caerphilly for the holidays in her new hilarious Christmas mystery How the Finch Stole Christmas! Meg's husband has decided to escalate his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production with a large cast including their sons Jamie and Josh as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge and Meg helping as stage manager. The show must go on, even if the famous—though slightly over-the-hill—actor who's come to town to play the starring role of Scrooge has brought a sleigh-load of baggage and enemies with him. And why is Caerphilly suddenly overrun with a surplus of beautiful caged finches? How the Finch Stole Christmas! is guaranteed to put the "ho ho hos" into the holidays of cozy lovers everywhere with its gut-bustingly funny mystery.
How the Finch Stole Christmas (A Bird Lover's Mystery #6)
by J. R. RipleyIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and the only things on Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms’s wish list are peace, quiet, and birding beside her beau. But in small town Ruby Lake, ‘tis the season to solve murders . . .Before Amy can get into the holiday spirit, she meets Franklin Finch—the cocky new owner of Christmas House Village, one of the most beloved attractions in town. Locals have been squawking over his decision to sack veteran staff members for cheaper help. And when Finch blows off a business deal with Amy, it confirms that he’s the biggest scrooge around. Still, she’s stunned the night his dead body is found swinging in the attic of a festive Victorian . . .Clashing against Chief Kennedy once again, Amy sets off to prove that Finch was murdered. But while her investigation quickly reveals a gaggle of disgruntled ex-Christmas House Village employees and unusual clues, Amy must move with caution as she focuses in on the seedy killer . . . Praise for J.R. Ripley’s Beignets, Brides and Bodies“Appealing . . . A clever, amusing cozy.” —Publishers Weekly“Ripley’s entertaining second series outing is a tasty option for foodie mystery fans.” —Library Journal
How the Heart Runs (Mystery and the Minister’s Wife Series, Book 18)
by Anne Marie RodgersThe woman, clearly shaken, pleads for Kate to stay by her side even as paramedics come to her aid, and they quickly forge a friendship. Despite Kate's growing affection for Emmaline, the woman seems evasive about the details of her sickness--and her past--and Kate begins to question what exactly has afflicted Emmaline. How can Kate properly minister to her if she doesn't know the whole truth? Who is this private, lonely woman? Meanwhile, a young mother in town is slowly recovering from major surgery and her family struggles to cope. As Kate cares for the family while also meeting the demands of her friendship with Emmaline, she begins to see there's much more to the mysterious woman than she ever imagined.
How the Hula Girl Sings: A Novel
by Joe Meno"A wonderful accomplishment. . . . The power is in the writing. Mr. Meno is a superb craftsman."-Hubert Selby Jr."The author moves the story along at a surprisingly fast and easy pace. The evil eyes of small-town America seem to peer from every page of Meno's claustrophobic noir, where the good and the bad are forced down the same violent paths."-Kirkus Reviews"Joe Meno writes with the energy, honesty, and emotional impact of the best punk rock."-Jim DeRogatis, pop music critic, Chicago Sun-Times"A likable winner that should bolster Meno's reputation." -Publishers Weekly"Joe Meno writes with the energy, honesty, and emotional impact of the best punk rock." -Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times"Fans of hard-boiled pulp fiction will particularly enjoy this novel." -BooklistA young ex-con in a small Illinois town. A lonely giant with a haunted past. A beautiful girl with a troubled heart. Strange and darkly magical, How the Hula Girl Sings begins exactly where most pulp fiction usually ends, with the vivid episode of the terrible crime itself. Three years later, Luce Lemay, out on parole for the awful tragedy, does his best to finds hope: in a new job at the local Gas-N-Go; in his companion and fellow ex-con, Junior Breen, who spells out puzzling messages to the unquiet ghosts of his past; and finally, in the arms of the lovely but reckless Charlene. How the Hula Girl Sings is a suspenseful exploration of a country bright with the far-off stars of forgiveness and dark with the still-looming shadow of the death penalty.
How the Murder Crumbles (A Cookie Shop Mystery #1)
by Debra SennefelderDebra Sennefelder whips up cookies and crime in a delicious new cozy series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Peg Cochran.Wingate, Connecticut, is famed as one of the top ten shopping destinations in the state, and home to Mallory Monroe&’s beloved Cookie Shop—a place where patrons are greeted with the heavenly aroma of freshly baked cookies that are as beautifully decorated as they are insanely delicious.But things aren&’t going so smoothly for Mallory. Her two employees are a disaster in the kitchen, she catches her boyfriend with another woman, and she&’s seen having a fierce argument with food blogger Beatrice Wright, who accuses Mallory of stealing her cookie recipe. Then Beatrice turns up dead in her kitchen, flour outlining her body and a bloodied marble rolling pin nearby. Mallory immediately becomes suspect number one, her sales plummet, and she desperately tries to clear her name—but that&’s not the only murder the killer is baking up.Debra Sennefelder has cooked up a perfect recipe—endearing characters, a picture-perfect evocation of small-town life, and a quaint sweets shop. And just when things get a little too comfy, there&’s always a murder or two for good measure.
How the Witch Stole Christmas (Witchless In Seattle Mysteries Ser. #5)
by Dakota CassidyThe game is afoot in Ebenezer Falls, Washington, and this time someone is trying to ruin Christmas!With twists, turns, and suspects aplenty, amateur sleuth Stevie Cartwright is determined to find a murderer and her missing familiar before the silver bells tarnish! USA Today bestselling cozy mystery author Dakota Cassidy serves up mayhem and murder in How the Witch Stole Christmas, Book 5 of her bestselling series, Witchless in Seattle MysteriesIt's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--!Er, not so much. . .It's Christmas, and I, ex-witch, Stevie Cartwright declare this my favorite time of year! I love the decorations! The food! The Hallmark Channel holiday specials! This year promises to be better than ever because for the first time in a very long time, I'm going to have more than just Cheez Whiz, Triscuits and the wish to be surrounded by family and friends. My carefully planned holiday bonanza includes all the usual suspects. My bat familiar Belfry, my dog Whiskey, my ever-present ghostly spy friends--dashing Brit Winterbottom, stalwart Russian Arkady and my parents. However, nothing comes easy for this amateur sleuth, not even a neighborhood decorating contest. You know, the one I've been painstakingly prepping for months? Something goes horribly awry with my Christmas display (think bikini-clad carolers, pink flamingos and real, live turkeys) to start. But the worst? The dead body of the famous Chef Pascal Le June in my nativity scene! It becomes clear someone's trying to ruin my Christmas, and that someone must pay! But when Belfry goes missing, and the danger takes on a paranormal edge, I find I have more to lose than ever before. . .This cozy mystery has a complete cast of oddball characters from witches to ghosts and bats to psychics. Witchless In Seattle Mysteries is a spin-off of Dakota Cassidy's bestselling paranormal romance series, A Paris, Texas Romance.
How to Age Disgracefully: A Novel
by Clare PooleyA senior citizens&’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity ProjectWhen Lydia takes a job running a Senior Citizen&’s Social Club three afternoons a week, she assumes she&’ll be spending her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards.The members of the Social Club, however, are not at all what Lydia&’s expecting. From Art, a failed actor turned kleptomaniac to Daphne, who has been hiding from her dark past for decades to Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter who gets revenge in yarn, these seniors look deceptively benign—but when age makes you invisible, secrets are so much easier to hide.When the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the Social Club joins forces with their tiny friends in the daycare next door—as well as the teenaged father of one of the toddlers and a geriatric dog—to save the building. Together, this group&’s unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as the police don&’t catch up with them first.
How to Be a Vampire
by R. L. StineLife was pretty average for Andrew. Until the morning he woke up undead. First there were bite marks on his neck. Then he tried to eat garlic--but that didn't work out so well. And now he's got this weird urge to sleep upside down.... Andrew's kind of excited about being a vampire. He'll get to fly, stay up all night, and totally scare his sister. But when he meets his vampire teacher, Andy realizes that being a vampire isn't as all it's cracked up to be....
How to Be a Vampire (Ghosts of Fear Street #13)
by R. L. StineOne morning, Andrew woke up. First there were the bite marks on his neck. Then he tried to eat garlic -- yikes! And now he's got this weird urge to sleep upside down. Not that Andrew minds turning into a vampire. He'll be able to stay up all night.
How to Be Lost: A Novel
by Amanda Eyre WardJoseph and Isabelle Winters seem to have it all: a grand home in Holt, New York, a trio of radiant daughters, and a sense that they are safe in their affluent corner of America. But when five-year-old Ellie disappears, the fault lines within the family are exposed: Joseph, once a successful businessman, succumbs to his demons; Isabelle retreats into memories of her debutante days in Savannah; and Ellie's bereft sisters grow apart-Madeline reluctantly stays home, while Caroline runs away.Fifteen years later, Caroline, now a New Orleans cocktail waitress, sees a photograph of a woman in a magazine. Convinced that it is Ellie all grown up, Caroline embarks on a search for her missing sister. Armed with copies of the photo, an amateur detective guide, and a cooler of Dixie beer, Caroline travels through the New Mexico desert, the mountains of Colorado, and the smoky underworld of Montana, determined to salvage her broken family.