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Sandra Parshall, a native southerner, worked as a reporter in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Baltimore. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, a longtime Washington journalist, and their cats.
Parshall's debut is a captivating tale of suspense and romance with Gothic twists. Set in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the story focuses on Rachel Goddard, a young veterinarian who, with her younger sister, Michelle, still lives in her mother's house. The sisters' father died in a car accident when Rachel was a child, but her mother remains reluctant to discuss any of the details-and downright hostile when Rachel starts asking more difficult questions prompted by a repressed childhood memory that pops into her head. Complicating matters is Rachel's new boss, the handsome vet Dr. Luke Campbell, with whom Rachel experiences much more than puppy love. When Luke encourages Rachel to keep probing into her childhood, her mother insists that Rachel end the relationship. Readers will root for Rachel as she fights her cold mother and weak sister for the truth about what happened to her father-and discovers some disturbing things about herself. A standout debut that effectively crosses subgenres-more psychologically astute than many romantic-suspense tales, yet more romantic than high-end psychological thrillers. -Jenny McLarin--Booklist
