"The dead don't lie, but the Living often do, Little Thief."
Ridgewood Academy was supposed to be a fresh start for Ivy-a chance to blend into the crowd and leave her past behind. But her quiet plan is shattered when she meets Stella, the girl no one likes and everyone avoids. Against her better judgment, Ivy tries to befriend her.
A week later, Stella is dead.
The school moves on, brushing her death aside as just another tragedy. But when Ivy finds Stella's diary stuffed under a desk-filled with desperate, haunting words like "It wasn't my fault. Help me!"-she knows something isn't right.
With the reluctant help of Aiden, Stella's best friend and the only person who cared about her, Ivy digs deeper. What they uncover points to someone no one would ever suspect: a teacher who seems perfect but hides a twisted, dangerous game behind his kind smile.
As Ivy and Aiden inch closer to the truth, anonymous notes start appearing-guiding them, warning them, and sometimes pushing them too far. Each clue brings them closer to uncovering a secret that's darker than anything Ivy imagined.
Stella's story might not have ended the way everyone thinks it did. But Ivy's might-if she isn't careful.
In a school full of lies, the truth is the most dangerous thing of all.
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.
***
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.