Winter’s End

It’s been almost a year since author Elizabeth Fairchild fled from her kidnapper, moving to Benedict, AK, hiding as Beth Rivers. She’s made some friends, including Kaye Miller, who’s been walking with Beth some mornings. But at Benedict’s annual Death Walk, when Gril, the police chief, takes the head count to see if everyone survived the winter, Beth doesn’t see Kaye or her husband. The rest of the Millers are there, along with their feuding neighbors, the Oliphants. Beth’s concerns are set aside when she and Orin, the local librarian, find a 94-year-old neighbor who’s barely hanging on, but when Orin heads for help, he doesn’t return. Instead, Gril shows up and reports Orin disappeared on one of his secret government assignments. Beth worries about Orin, only to have bigger concerns when Kaye’s body is discovered. She forces her way into the middle of feuding families, each blaming the other for Kaye’s death, but she only wants to find out who killed Kaye and why.