Bonfire

Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

Attorney Abby Williams returns to her dismal hometown
of Barrens, Indiana, with one purpose in mind; to expose
the deceitful environmental practices of Optimal Plastics,
the company that residents worship and adore for restoring
hope and prosperity to a place that was slowly dying.

Things haven't changed that much in ten years. High school football still reigns supreme, gun-toting hunters still love the sport, and some of the girls who taunted Abby in school with their
cruel, callous remarks, still live in town, one even holding a
position of power. Painful, bitter memories haunt Abby, including the disappearance of her friend, Kaycee Mitchell, who loved being the center of attention among her posse of followers. But Abby wonders, what if  Kaycee's leaving years ago is all part of the current investigation of a corporate giant reviving a town in need?

One thing is certain...Abby has outstayed her welcome in Barrens. Colleagues working with her on the Optimal investigation begin to question her mental stability. Lonely and afraid, she trusts no one, not even herself, until one explosive night that proves her gut
instincts may have been right along.

Krysten Ritter, actress turned author, writes a thriller debut that has all
the elements for success. Her storytelling takes a flawed, vulnerable character
on a wild, wickedly suspenseful ride into the sordid darkness of  small-town secrets.
Definitely worth checking out.

Seven Days of Us

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

Christmas. That mellow time of year when petty differences are cast aside in order to spend quality time with loved ones. But the very British Birch family soon finds out that seven, solid days of suffocating togetherness can bring some very unexpected challenges and surprises.

It's holiday time, and eldest daughter, Dr. Olivia Birch, comes home to the family country estate to recuperate, after treating patients exposed to a deadly virus during her time abroad. Her gift to the family is seven days of quarantine for everyone and anyone unfortunate enough to cross over the threshold of this tired, old home. What she doesn't mention, is her recent, forbidden tryst with another doctor hospitalized with the virus, and the heightened risk she now faces of contracting it, too.

Home hasn't changed all that much since she's been gone. The strained relationship with her father remains, as he struggles with an unfulfilling job as a restaurant critic. The tediousness of being around her pert, sassy, engaged sister, makes her feel like an outsider
in her own family. And her loving, indulgent mother, still desperately
wants to keep the peace, while clinging to what's left of her marriage
and her own identity.

Olivia's not the only one being less than truthful. Her mother chooses not
to reveal a dire medical diagnosis until after the holidays, but inadvertently
shares the news with a young, incredibly appealing American she
meets at the airport while waiting for her daughter to arrive. In a matter
of just a few days, this same man reappears at their doorstep. He seems to know
quite a bit about Olivia's sister's fiance, far more than he cares to share with
this group of people who warily watch his every move.

Will the curse of seven endless days and nights, side by side, turn out to be a blessing?

A fabulously festive, family drama with a host of complex, likable characters that
arrive just in time for Christmas.