Rural Fiction

In the mid-nineteenth century, Ciarán McCrohan moves to the small remote island of Inishean to take over the position of lighthouse keeper. But there is one catch: he needs a wife. On the edge of Europe, shielded from the potato blight and ensuing famine that rages in Ireland, two young people find refuge both in their small community and in each other. Almost two centuries later, Josh O’Brien’s happy life in Ireland is threatened, despite the efforts of his new family. But there is someone who will stand above the others to secure his future.

Colorado's Redstone Ridge is a place of extraordinary beauty, but this rugged mountain wilderness harbors a horrifying secret. When a charred body is discovered in a shallow grave on the ridge, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo, are called in to spearhead the investigation. But this is no ordinary crime - and it soon becomes clear Mattie has a close personal connection to the dead man.

Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Nick Houston is as tough as they come, and he and his K-9, Saxon, are hot on the trail of a major illegal-gun dealer. But his best lead - the beautiful owner of the Dog Park Cafe, Andi Hardt - is not cooperating. Doesn't matter how sexy she is or that his dog seems to be in love with her. She's a suspect, and he won't cross that line. Ever.

In her rural Appalachian holler, 10-year-old Misty’s closest friends are the crawdads. Misty can speak to them, to the birds, to the creek, to everything outside, and she understands how they think. She knows that if she could just speak to her parents in the same way, she could stop all the fighting. But it’s too hard. Strange things start to happen in the holler. When her friend William takes their friendship too far, Misty’s need to connect is greater than ever, but it’s hard to talk about what you don’t understand.

After an attempted horse theft goes tragically wrong, 16-year-old Caleb Bentley is on the run with his mean-spirited older brother across the American Southwest at the turn of the 20th century. Caleb’s moral compass and inner courage will be tested as they travel the harsh terrain and encounter those who have carved out a life there, for good or ill.

Rene Descartes, a recently released ex-con, is living in a ramshackle trailer only a short distance from Hidden Cove, a secluded paradise for the country’s rich and famous. A savage attack against Rene by the son of the fourth richest man in the country spurns a brutal act of revenge that will ignite this paradise into a fiery vision of hell on earth. As the flames threaten to engulf rich and poor alike, only Deacon Riis, a small-town reporter haunted by his own past, suspects it wasn’t Rene who set Hidden Cove ablaze but someone with a far more sinister agenda.

Deacon Brannock is determined to make a name for himself and the saloon he's worked his whole life to afford. He was prepared for life in the Wild West, but he hadn't counted on Grace Legend.... Grace has always fought hard for what she believes in, and after her best friend is killed at the hands of her drunk and angry husband, that includes keeping alcohol out of her town.

The lawyer and journalist Matteo Teresi discovers the existence of a secret sect whose members include priests, politicians, and regional VIPs. During the early morning hours, when the town’s churches are closed, the "Sect of the Angels" meets in the sacristy to carry out their holy office: initiating devout virgins into the rites of married life. Preying on their victims’ naivete, the hooded "elect" commit ignominious acts while promising the young women divine grace. In 1901, at a time of immense changes in Sicilian society, the scandal breaks nationwide.

When Jim Qwilleran's friend Polly decides to spend two weeks on vacation with an old girlfriend in Oregon, he finds himself at a loose end—but not for long. A visit from Nick Bamba brings news of a hotbed of mystery.

I lose myself in my artwork, and for a few hours each day, I can forget about how trapped I feel in the merkingdom as the unwanted and inconvenient niece of an angry, bitter king. If I could find a way to support myself, I could leave the lake—and Uncle Caralorn—and start fresh somewhere else. The fates must have a sense of humor, because Ever's newest resident, an ancient vampire, offers to hire me to redo the town's welcome packet. Betmal is over-the-top charming one minute and possessively dominant the next, and it's far too easy to get lost in those flashing crimson eyes.

Who goes to rehab eight times? Gage does. As a recovering addict fresh out of rehab, moving back in with his mom and starting over in his hometown isn't part of his life goals, but Gage needs all the support he can get. Lost and a little unsure of himself, Gage meets his new sponsor. A sponsor whose son is the perfect sober companion. But companionship isn't all these two find...

It was supposed to be a regular day out. Three couples celebrating the last days of summer. When tragedy struck. I thought I was going to marry her. Instead, I was burying her. I blamed the world for my pain. I buried it all. I became a man I didn’t even recognize.

Fiona Ivers has been in love with her brother's best friend since she was a kid. He's older and oblivious to her existence, which only makes her want him more. She's always believed he was disinterested—until a charity gala pushes them together. There, she realizes maybe he pays more attention than he's ever let on. Broody, tattooed loner Boyd Kelly has a low tolerance for distractions and has no issues letting those around him know. His best friend's younger sister doesn't seem to care, though.

The job at Sunday Orchard was supposed to be temporary. A chance to gain some work experience, to have some fun. I had not expected to be welcomed into a family of gorgeous and weirdly efficient lumberjack-types, or to find purpose in the tiny Vermont town whose claim to fame seemed to be apple-based products and copious amounts of charm. And I most definitely hadn’t expected to fall for Knox Sunday, my grumpy, burly, fifteen-years-older, reluctant roommate, with his infuriating lectures, his hot-as-fire body, his superior attitude - I’ve never been one to put down roots.

As a young girl in Miller's Valley, an ordinary farming town that may be facing its final days, Mimi is observing adults, selling corn, growing up and changing, and watching the world around her change, too. As the years go by, the unthinkable starts to seem inevitable. Anna Quindlen's novel takes us through the changing eras of Mimi and her family, as secrets are revealed, and the heartbreaks of growing up and falling in love with the wrong man are overcome.

Sally Curtis is all about numbers, details, and the crisp pages of accounting ledgers at the inn. She isn’t interested in messy human interactions or anything that doesn’t compute in a spreadsheet. But when Peter Slessing, the farmer with a contagious laugh, requires her skills, she's thrust into a world where calculations meet chaos.

In the tiny village of Sandy Cove in Ireland, Ella Caron is trying to recover. When she moved to a beautiful coastguard cottage on the sea, she wanted quiet and the space to grieve after her mother’s death. She never imagined that her mother’s best friend, Lucille, would insist on moving in to keep her company. With Lucille by her side, it soon becomes clear that Lucille has her own reasons for coming to Sandy Cove. But then Lucille’s son, Rory, comes to town and her dream is under threat: he wants her in Tipperary, where she can safely grow old in their family home.

Five years ago, Clara Hayes got the diagnosis no one wants: cancer. She fought it and won, but it altered everything. She moved back home, changed her career, and now she approaches life without fear or hesitation. Then her brother’s best friend moves to town. She’s loved Holden for as long as she’s known him. And though she’s been gently turned down by him once before, Clara decides she needs to take one more chance on him, even if ends in heartache. Because as she knows all too well, life’s too short for regrets.

Hawthorne Mills is supposed to be my chance to start over with my brothers. Becoming their guardian wasn't the plan, but I'll do anything it takes to keep them from being put in the system. Even if it means raising two teenage boys when I'm only twenty-three. There's one thing I don't expect—Caleb Thorne.

Pickax loves a big occasion. The Great Food "Explo" is about to begin, introducing new restaurants, country inns, and food specialty shops. Lurking in the background, though, is a killer determined to make this an event Pickax City will never forget. The Expo begins with a literal bang: a bomb wrecks the hotel, killing a housekeeper and causing extensive damage. Luckily for Pickax, Jim Qwilleran is on the scene, with suspicions that the bomb was intended as something stronger than a warning to someone.