The untimely death of Shannon Grady surprises no one, except her good friend Evie. Shannon's illness was finally under control. She was getting her life back on track. At last, things were looking up for the youngest daughter of the town's most powerful and respected family. So why would she kill herself? No family is perfect, not even the wealthy and influential Gradys. Shadows from the past have long haunted youngest daughter Shannon, whose very presence within the home aroused long-lived jealousy and resentment from her siblings. Plagued by the demons of mental illness since early adolescence, she has longed for love and acceptance, but is powerless to control wild, risky impulses and the dark, debilitating depression that follows it. Her ultra-religious family refuse to accept she is ill, and believe her mood swings and behavior are sin. But when she takes a look into her own past, she faces that terrifying shadow and awakens memories long suppressed. Bit by bit, she peels away the strata, exposing secrets that can lay waste to her family and the town it controls. When Evie discovers notebooks full of Shannon's recorded memories, she takes up the cause and leaves no stone unturned as she pursues the hints and allegations her friend wrote down before her death. What price had Shannon paid for peace?

Author Biography

When Ava Norwood developed a rare disability, she stepped away from a busy career in counseling and turned her mind and talent to writing. Unable to interact with the world at large, Ms. Norwood now finds fulfillment creating strong characters caught in desperate circumstances. Ava Norwood lives in the South with her best friends-her husband, her dogs, and one crazy cat.