Washoe County Library System

Dr. Kay Scarpetta opens a private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, only to find herself and her colleagues--Pete Marino and her niece, Lucy--confronted by a horrifying series of crimes that may have an underlying link.

"Every August, four women would gather together to spend a week at the beach, renting a new house each year. The ritual began when they were in their twenties and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the Girls dies tragically, the...

Betts hasn't been back to Bulls Island since the tragic night that ended her engagement to Charleston's golden boy. Twenty years later, she leaves her comfortable life and is back in contact with everything she's tried to hard to forget.

Determined to build a new life for her family after her divorce, Adelia Hernandez has bought a home in historic Swan Point. Promoted to manager of Main Street's most fashionable boutique, she feels ready for a fresh start as a single mom. But then, she crosses paths with the sexiest man in Serenity. Gabe Franklin, back in town to make amends for past mistakes, brings passion and laughter into Adelia's life. To their surprise, sometimes a rolling stone...

This is a story of people whose lives are changing - a southern gentleman returning home to lead a more peaceful life and his talented New York wife who is not quite sure she is ready to make the transition. They are moving north to south, fast pace versus slow pace, downsizing. And while they are doing this, they are getting glimpses into other people's lives over the course of a summer, holidays that will amuse, shock and transform them.

Inside the abbey of a Benedictine monastery on tiny Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion. Jessie Sullivan's conventional life has been "molded to the smallest space possible." So when she is called home to cope with her mother's startling and enigmatic act of violence, Jessie finds herself...

"Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand mystery bookstore, is hosting a party to celebrate successful Southern literary icon--and former Broward's Rock resident--Alex Griffith and his bestselling new novel, "Don't Go Home." But after the local paper announces that Griffith aims to reveal the real-life inspirations behind his characters, perhaps the author should take his own advice. Not everyone in town is ready to give him a glowing review....