Madeline and Daphne were once as close as sisters--until a secret tore them apart. Now it might take them to their graves. They knew his name, the man who tried to brutally attack twelve-year-old Madeline in her grandmother's hotel. They thought they knew his fate. He wouldn't be bothering them anymore...ever. Still their lives would never be the same. Madeline has returned to Washington after her grandmother's mysterious death. And at the old, abandoned...

When Paula Woodley has had enough of the broken bones and shattered self-esteem caused by her abusive husband, she turns to the women of the Sisterhood, an organization where women right wrongs and bring about justice, for help.

Twenty-three stories chronicle the experiences of people who have answered an ad for an artist's retreat, believing that they will find a peaceful refuge, only to find themselves isolated and trapped in a cavernous old theater.

Sheriff's detective Tony Mendez and child advocate Anne Leone investigate the murder of Marissa Fordham--a case that hinges on a key witness, Marissa's young daughter, Haley--and soon discover the shocking fact that Marissa Fordham never existed.

"Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who's dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life - he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree...

K'os, a Cousin River woman, nurses her hatred after being brutalized by a trio of Near River men, and when she discovers an abandoned baby at the site of the attack, she believes him to be a sign that she will eventually be avenged, but when Chakliux grows to manhood he embarks upon a mission of peace between the two peoples, not realizing his mother is out to sabotage his efforts.

Nora Sinclair is a woman with a deadly appetite, especially for those men who are attracted to her, and FBI agent John O'Hara must stay on guard in his investigation of her hidden and unexplained past.

A ruthless lawyer is shot during a robbery attempt and must rebuild his life without any memory of his past.

The Sisterhood are now fugitives, with a vengeful FBI agent on their trail. But their lawyer and the judge who helped them evade prison need their help.

Maya, having been convinced by her sister Rebecca and husband Adam to help with a relief effort after a devastating hurricane in North Carolina, is the victim of a helicopter crash, and while she struggles to stay alive in the wilderness, Rebecca and Adam, believing Maya is dead, find comfort in the arms of one another.