Carolina Moon

Book excerpt: #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents a novel of redemption and suspense, as a woman haunted by the unsolved murder of her childhood friend returns to her small South Carolina hometown. . . . Tory Bodeen grew up in a run-down house where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt—and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. Her one escape was her neighbor Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away, and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn’t allowed to be at home: a child. Then Hope was brutally murdered, and everything fell apart. Now, as she returns to Progress with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, Tory is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle—Hope’s older brother and the heir to the family fortune—she isn’t sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try. But living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected. Because Hope’s murderer is nearby as well. . . . “Roberts may have achieved her personal best in this tense Southern Gothic. As atmospheric and unsettling as a Tennessee Williams play. . . . This is romantic drama at its best.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)