Charlie Donlea

Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t.   The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It’s a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient Nicole is still missing.   Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found and her sister’s fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she’s increasingly sure the cases are connected.   Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for . . .

Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past… Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence. Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA. But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . . Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation. It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister. Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children. Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be . . .

When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers in this engrossing, propulsive new novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later. Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger. When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty. Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case. Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case her disappearance. Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…

Some places seem too beautiful to be touched by horror. Summit Lake, nestled in North Carolina s Blue Ridge Mountains, is that kind of place. But two weeks ago, Becca Eckersley, a first-year law student and daughter of a powerful attorney, was brutally murdered there. Now the town is reeling with grief, and the police are baffled. At first, investigative reporter Kelsey Castle thinks of the assignment as a fluff piece. But the savagery of the crime, and the efforts to keep it quiet, hint at something far more sinister than a random attack by a stranger. As Kelsey digs deeper, despite danger and warnings, she feels a growing connection to the dead girl. And the more she learns about Becca's friendships, her love life and her secrets the more convinced she becomes that walking in Becca's footsteps could lead her out of her own dark past.

Inside the walls of Indiana’s elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus and playing fields sits an abandoned boarding house that is infamous among Westmont’s students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don’t let your candle go out—unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you... One year ago, two students were killed there in a grisly slaughter. The case has since become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, mysteries and questions remain. The most urgent among them is why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house—to kill themselves. Rory, an expert in reconstructing cold cases, is working on The Suicide House podcast with Lane, recreating the night of the killings in order to find answers that have eluded the school, the town, and the police. But the more they learn about the troubled students, the chillingly stoic culprit, and a dangerous game gone tragically wrong, the more convinced they become that something sinister is still happening. Inside Westmont Prep, the game hasn’t ended. It thrives on secrecy and silence. And for its players, there may be no way to win—or to survive...

A taut, gripping novel about the deadly secrets hiding in plain sight... The truth is easy to miss, even when it’s right in front of us. As a forensic reconstructionist, Rory Moore sheds light on cold-case homicides by piecing together crime scene details others fail to see. Cleaning out her late father’s law office a week after his burial, she receives a call that plunges her into a decades-old case come to life once more. In the summer of 1979, five Chicago women went missing. The predator, nicknamed The Thief, left no bodies and no clues behind—until police received a package from a mysterious woman named Angela Mitchell, whose unorthodox investigation skills appear to have led to his identity. But before police could question her, Angela disappeared. Forty years later, The Thief is about to be paroled for Angela’s murder—the only crime the DA could pin on him. As a former client of her father’s, Rory becomes reluctantly involved with the killer—though he continues to insist he didn’t murder Angela. Now he wants Rory to do what her father once promised: prove that Angela is, in fact, still alive. As Rory begins reconstructing Angela’s last days, another killer emerges from the shadows, replicating those long-ago murders. With every startling discovery she makes, Rory becomes more deeply entangled in the enigma of Angela Mitchell—and in The Thief’s tormented mind. Drawing connections between past and present is the only way to stop the nightmare, but even Rory can’t be prepared for the full, terrifying truth that is emerging...

The Girl of Sugar Beach is the most watched documentary in television history—a riveting, true-life mystery that unfolds over twelve weeks and centers on a fascinating question: Did Grace Sebold murder her boyfriend, Julian, while on a Spring Break vacation, or is she a victim of circumstance and poor police work? Grace has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison, and reaches out to filmmaker Sidney Ryan in a last, desperate attempt to prove her innocence.As Sidney begins researching, she uncovers startling evidence overlooked during the original investigation. Before the series even finishes filming, public outcry leads officials to reopen the case. Delving into Grace’s past, Sidney peels away layer after layer of deception. But as she edges closer to the real heart of the story, Sidney must decide if finding the truth is worth risking her newfound fame, her career … even her life.

Megan McDonald está terminando el bachillerato: es popular, carismática, desarrolló un programa para la adaptación de los alumnos más jóvenes, premiado en el país y tiene un futuro increíble por delante. Una de sus últimas noches en Emerson Bay la secuestran. Megan está dos semanas en cautiverio hasta que consigue escapar y pasa a ser conocida como “la chica que se llevaron”. Pero esa noche también desapareció Nicole Cutty y de ella nadie sabe nada. Megan está tratando —sin éxito— de tener una vida normal. Su madre y su psicólogo insisten en que escriba su historia para poder dejarla atrás. El libro se convierte en un bestseller pero Megan no está bien, recuerda muy poco de lo que ocurrió en esas dos semanas encerrada y necesita saberlo para poder seguir con su vida. Livia es la hermana mayor de Nicole, y está realizando su práctica como médica forense en Raleigh, muy cerca de Emerson Bay. Todavía se siente culpable por no haber atendido el teléfono cuando su hermana menor la llamó la misma noche en que desapareció. Livia y Megan están destinadas a unirse para descubrir qué pasó con Nicole. Cuanto más profundizan se dan cuenta de que, a veces, el verdadero terror reside en encontrar exactamente lo que estabas buscando.

When you're living a lie, can you trust anything?Ten years ago, Alexandra Quinlan was the prime suspect in the massacre of her entire family. Her face was on every television show and front page, and she was given a nickname by the Empty Eyes. Now, Alex Armstrong has reinvented herself and devotes herself to securing justice for others. But when Laura McAllister, a young student journalist, disappears just as she's about to break a major story about sexual assault and cover-ups on her college campus, Alex is drawn into a new case that will threaten the life she's built. As Alex digs into Laura's disappearance, she realises that there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. As different as the crimes may appear, they each hinge on one sinister no one is quite who they seem to be... An explosive and unputdownable crime thriller you won't be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Mary Kubica and Karin Slaughter.

…ALGUNS LUGARES PARECEM BELOS DEMAIS PARA SEREM TOCADOS PELO HORROR… Summit Lake, uma pequena cidade entre montanhas, é esse tipo de lugar, bucólico e com encantadoras casas dispostas à beira de um longo trecho de água intocada. Atraída instintivamente pela notícia, a repórter Kelsey Castle vai até a cidade para investigar o caso. Duas semanas atrás, a estudante de direito Becca Eckersley foi brutalmente assassinada em uma dessas casas. Filha de um poderoso advogado, Becca estava no auge de sua vida. Era trabalhadora, realizada na vida pessoal e tinha um futuro promissor. Para grande parte dos colegas, era a pessoa mais gentil que conheciam. Agora, enquanto os habitantes, chocados, reúnem-se para compartilhar suas suspeitas, a polícia não possui nenhuma pista relevante. Atraída instintivamente pela notícia, a repórter Kelsey Castle vai até a cidade para investigar o caso. … E LOGO SE ESTABELECE UMA CONEXÃO ÍNTIMA QUANDO UM VIVO CAMINHA NAS MESMAS PEGADAS DOS MORTOS… A selvageria do crime e os esforços para manter o caso em silêncio sugerem mais que um ataque aleatório cometido por um estranho. Quanto mais se aprofunda nos detalhes e pistas, apesar dos avisos de perigo, mais Kelsey se sente ligada à garota morta. E enquanto descobre sobre as amizades de Becca, sua vida amorosa e os segredos que ela guardava, a repórter fica cada vez mais convencida de que a verdade sobre o que aconteceu com Becca pode ser a chave para superar as marcas sombrias de seu próprio passado… UM SUSPENSE BRILHANTE E ASSOMBROSO COMO SE GAROTA EXEMPLAR ENCONTRASSE O SILÊNCIO DOS INOCENTES!

Ten years after a teenage girl’s disappearance, a bizarre confession breaks open the cold case in dangerous ways…and threatens to tear apart her small Wisconsin town all over again in the masterfully twisty new psychological suspense novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.For fans of Riley Sager, Anna Downes, Alex Finlay, Stacy Willingham, and Karin Slaughter.   Ten years ago, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from her quiet Wisconsin lake community. Her body was never found, and the case went cold, but the echoes of Callie’s disappearance still linger.  On the tenth anniversary, Ethan Hall—a former renegade detective turned doctor—is tapped to re-open the case. Ethan left law enforcement to escape his demons. But when his old partner makes a death-bed request to get the case off his conscience, Ethan reluctantly agrees to re-examine the evidence. Word soon spreads and everyone in the small town of Cherryview feels a rush of hope that answers will finally be found. No one is more invested than Lindsay Larkin, Callie’s high school best friend. Now a psychologist and the architect behind a wildly successful online counseling platform called The Anonymous Client, Lindsay has publicly and relentlessly pursued the truth about what happened to Callie. Amid a sweltering heatwave, and just as Ethan’s investigation gains momentum, a new client signs in to Lindsay’s online portal and makes a devastating anonymous “I killed Callie Jones, and I need your help to forgive myself.” Lindsay’s business and reputation depend upon keeping her clients’ privacy, so she funnels scant clues to Ethan hoping he’ll pick up the trail. But when Ethan’s investigation leads to another missing woman, he realizes there’s more to Callie’s disappearance than anyone imagined, including ties to his own dark past that some are willing to kill for . . .

Duas colegas são raptadas. Megan foge e, um ano depois, escreve um livro que se torna um sucesso. Um detalhe inconveniente: Nicole continua desaparecida. Nicole e Megan são alunas do último ano da high school de Emerson Bay, uma cidadezinha na Carolina do Norte. Certa noite de verão, elas desaparecem de uma festa à beira do lago. A polícia realiza uma busca intensa, mas não encontra nenhuma pista. Quando já haviam perdido as esperanças de encontrá-las com vida, Megan aparece, milagrosamente, ao conseguir escapar do cativeiro escondido nas profundezas da mata. Um ano depois, Megan lança um livro contando o seu martírio naquelas duas semanas, e, imediatamente, ele se torna um best-seller e a converte de uma heroína local em celebridade nacional. Trata-se de um relato triunfante e inspirador, exceto por um detalhe inconveniente: Nicole continua desaparecida. Livia, irmã mais velha de Nicole, aluna de patologia forense, espera que um dia, em breve, o corpo de Nicole seja encontrado, e caberá a alguém como ela analisar a evidência e determinar finalmente a causa da morte de sua irmã. Em vez disso, a primeira pista do desaparecimento de Nicole surge de outro corpo que chega ao necrotério onde ela trabalha. É de alguém ligado ao passado de Nicole. Então, Livia entra em contato com Megan para contar a descoberta, e pedir mais detalhes da noite em que as duas foram sequestradas. Como outras garotas também desapareceram, Livia começa a acreditar que existe uma forte ligação entre todos aqueles casos. No entanto, Megan sabe mais do que revelou em seu livro. Lampejos de memória surgem, apontando para algo mais sombrio e monstruoso do que o descrito em suas arrepiantes memórias. Quanto mais ela e Livia se aprofundam, mais se dão conta de que, às vezes, o terror verdadeiro está em encontrar exatamente o que estávamos procurando.

El internado Westmont es un prestigioso instituto en el que las expectativas son altas y las reglas estrictas. Pero en el extremo más alejado del bosque que rodea el edificio principal se encuentra una residencia abandonada conocida entre los estudiantes como punto de encuentro nocturno. Aquí solo hay una no dejes que tu vela se apague, a menos que quieras que el Hombre en el Espejo te encuentre. Hace un año, dos estudiantes fueron asesinados de una manera escalofriante. Desde entonces, el caso se ha convertido en el foco de un exitoso pódcast, La casa de los suicidios. Aunque un profesor de química del instituto fue declarado culpable de los asesinatos, quedan muchos misterios y preguntas por resolver. ¿Por qué algunos estudiantes que sobrevivieron a esa noche han regresado al lugar para suicidarse? Rory es una experta investigadora especializada en reconstruir casos sin resolver, y está colaborando en el mencionado pódcast con el doctor Lane Phillips, psicólogo forense, con el que le une algo más que su profesión. Ambos están recreando la noche de los asesinatos para encontrar las respuestas que no han encontrado ni el instituto, ni el pueblo y, ni siquiera, la policía. Pero cuanto más aprenden, más se convencen de que algo siniestro todavía persiste. Dentro del instituto Westmont el juego no ha terminado. El secreto y el silencio se mantienen entre sus jugadores, puede que no haya forma de vencer o de sobrevivir…

La investigadora forense Rory Moore está de permiso después de la muerte de su padre. Mientras ordena su despacho, encuentra un archivo de hace cuarenta años sobre el caso de El Ladrón… Durante el verano de 1979, cinco mujeres desaparecieron en Chicago y el depredador, apodado El Ladrón, no dejó ni los cuerpos ni ningún otro rastro. La investigación no tenía cómo avanzar, hasta el momento en que la policía recibió un paquete de una misteriosa mujer obsesionada con el caso, Ángela Mitchell. Estaba siguiendo por su cuenta la pista del posible asesino, pero un día ella misma desapareció. Y por su secuestro El Ladrón fue condenado. Han pasado cuarenta años, él ha cumplido su condena y está a punto de salir en libertad… Mientras tanto, el archivo que Rory ha encontrado revela que el caso nunca se resolvió, y siente que es ella quien debe hacerlo. Empieza a investigar y hace un sorprendente descubrimiento tras otro, pero no logra descifrar qué pudo suceder con Angela Mitchell. Quizás sea mejor que nunca lo sepa.