Maggie Anglem lost her mother at just 9 years old. Her whole childhood was tainted with abuse, a home filled with violence where the only thing saving her from a life in the system was her sweet, loving grandfather, Cyrus Anglem, who often provided a sense of hope for Maggie. Shortly after the loss of her mother, her father Dennis was locked away in the state asylum for the clinically insane for attempted murder/suicide.
Now an adult, Maggie deals with the burden of being the product of a suicidal, alcoholic father and a mother who, though despite being a blessing to Maggie, was gone too soon to guide Maggie through the perilous journey of life. Between Cyrus and Maggie's autistic little brother Ben, Maggie has somehow managed to stride through life and develop a new purpose- taking care of her brother and developing a new, better life for herself and her newly found, non-binary partner Kendall.
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.