"Hey girl, open the walls, and play with your dolls, we'll be a perfect family..."
...Or so the saying goes. Two cousins, Cry Baby and Baby Doll, have heard this many times before but know that it can never be true. Living under the same roof of an elegant yet bleak and spooky family mansion that holds multiple secrets is like torture for the two cousins, who are more like sisters and struggle to stick together and keep their innocence and sanity in the midst of domestic chaos and the regular complications of friends, boys, sexuality, independence and identity in the modern world.
"D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E, I see things that nobody else sees..."
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.