Teenager Botan Mathew was going through quite a phase indeed. Just this December, a girl from the high school in which he worked as a narc and detective, was killed, sliced up so bad people started saying that she would be buried in a plastic bag, and he was hired to solve the case. A high payment was promised, but he still had to do schoolwork, deal with insane family feuds, secrets, a new attraction to his narc partner, and on top of it all, strange red zinnia flowers had started blooming near his area, and where the girl was killed . Will he actually solve the case? Or will all this end with a bleeding heart, a broken family, and grades lower than his own self esteem?
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
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Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.