The Girl From Home
A “gripping thriller” (Publishers Weekly) featuring page-turning tension, psychological twists and turns, and an unforgettable voice, perfect for fans of Patricia Highsmith and Gillian Flynn.
Jonathan Caine is a true master of the universe—a currency wizard with a trophy wife, a penthouse condo with a view of the Statue of Liberty, and the desire for more—when his world comes crashing down, spiraling him into a relentless fall from grace. Devastated, Jonathan returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father and attend his twenty-fifth high school reunion, where he becomes reacquainted with former prom queen Jacqueline Williams.
Back in the day, Jackie didn’t even know Jonathan existed. Now she is intrigued by the man he has become. But their budding relationship has problems, not the least of which is Jackie’s jealous and abusive husband. Jonathan is determined to learn from his mistakes, but is he capable of complete transformation? Or will a shocking temptation test his desire for redemption beyond anything he could have imagined?
Excerpt
Sitting in a prison in East Carlisle, Jonathan recalls that he often considered his hometown a prison unto itself, and it seems redundant for him to actually be incarcerated within it. Only a few months ago, a future of endless wealth and possibilities awaited him, but that was so far behind him now it felt as if he’d only imagined it. His more recent circumstances had required acceptance that his freedom might have an expiration date, but he had assumed that if he did go away, it would be a short stint, something to burnish his biography. Like the way some people talk about their time in the army. But this wasn’t that. This was a murder charge. The rest of his life in a steel box.
The key was held by Jackie. The girl from home whom Jonathan had loved from afar all those years ago. Yesterday he thought of her as his savior, but today she might become his prosecutor.
The thought of being caged made people do things. Things that they might not have ever conceived of doing before.