Jacqueline S. Barr

Love forged in the fire and founded on faith. John Brandt is a man on the edge of professional burnout and personal self-destruction. Can the sweet innocence of the new neighbor help Johnny find the peace he has been seeking so desperately? Fragile Catherine Kavanagh is grieving and alone with nothing but faith and determination to sustain her.

Just as Katie's life is settling into a new normal after leaving Zion and the birth of her son, she is given news that will forever alter her reality. Meanwhile, the moment that Michael has so desperately wished for, but never thought would come, has finally arrived. He must make the hardest decision of his life, and if he doesn't choose correctly, he could lose everything, forever.

Michael felt like his life ended the day his family left. In a way, it did. While he struggled to remain composed when he was in the company of others, he allowed his thoughts and anxieties to consume him when he was alone. Though the life that he had always known had ended, a new one quickly emerged, one that had been suppressed by the Elders for far too long. While Michael struggled to wrap his brain around the information he was learning about his true identity, his heart continuously pulled him toward a young girl.

Katie was born into a cult. Her family lived there for generations. As she got older, she realized the Elders were keeping secrets from the community. Risking everything, she leaves the cult and searches for the truth. With the help of outsiders, Katie and her young husband David are put in touch with an organization called Purple Haven, which provides medical care, shelter, counseling and job training to individuals who have escaped from cults. She soon discovers she’s pregnant.

A parish priest has a gambling problem, a girlfriend, and his brother just killed his bookie. A police detective and mobster both investigate, while the town questions if it's a crime at all or a public service. It has everything you need in a mystery: gambling, drinking, Girl Scout cookies, a wedding with a miracle, a canine ring bearer, a dead man telling a terrible joke, fast food, diners, and spit takes, and road rage.