Part of Susan Wren, book 3
First published 2023
Police chief Susan Wren sits in a medical center waiting room on a stormy afternoon in Hampstead, Kansas. Only she and sick little Jen Bryant occupy the empty space. Jen waits to see Dr Dorothy Barrington, a cold and difficult physician. A gunshot shatters the quiet. Dr Dorothy dies instantly. The bullet critically wounds Jen. Susan failed to shield the child from harm. Now she must track down the shooter who escaped. Dr Dorothy made enemies easily. The controlling doctor feuded with her four siblings and alienated colleagues with her harsh manner. Susan digs into the family's secrets and discovers hidden conflicts. The respectable medical family harbors dark truths. Susan races to uncover what drove someone to murder before the killer attacks again. The investigation forces her to confront painful realities about family loyalty and betrayal.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: investigation, secrets-and-lies
Setting: Hampstead, Kansas
Period: 20th-century
317 pages · Kindle Edition · Joffe Books
Content warnings: violence