Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him—he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die. It turns out that being known as a “self-made” widow comes with some perks. No one messes with her, harasses her, or tries to control (ahem, marry) her. It’s even been good for business; no one dares to not buy her jewelry. Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal. And not all of them are asking nicely.

Once known as the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi, Beauregard “Bug” Montage has never stopped looking over his shoulder. He knows that no matter how long he has been out of the Life, no one ever gets out completely. Now Bug is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hardworking dad. But when his carefully built life begins to crumble, and a former associate comes calling with a can’t-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver’s seat. Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland… or die trying.

Registration opens August 1st.

October is our community read event, One Book, One Village. Stay tuned to find out what this year’s read is!

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

The Starlings live in Everton, an ordinary enough New Hampshire town. It’s notable only for Corbin Park, an enormous hunting park, and for Maple Street Cemetery–home to many former residents of Everton. There’s also the town legend that Emma Starling was born with healing hands. But Emma has never found the right use for her healing abilities, and they’ve been on the fritz ever since her childhood best friend, Crystal, fell prey to addiction and disappeared. No one went looking for her; the police don’t spend much time looking for drug addicts. Now Emma has come back to Everton to see her dying father, the only person who has kept up the search for Crystal. Ever since his recent diagnosis with a rare brain disease, Clive Sterling has been seeing ghosts, including Ernest Harold Baynes, the long-dead naturalist who worked in Corbin Park, and who seems to have some unfinished business in Everton. The residents of Maple Street have their own agenda, too–they’d like to see Emma live up to her potential as a miracle worker and cure her father. Emma’s not exactly up for the challenge, though. Recently expelled from medical school, she takes a job as a substitute fifth-grade teacher to get back on her feet and stay close to home. As her father’s condition worsens, it’s all Emma can do to stay afloat. She isn’t trying to be a hero–just a passable guardian to her father and her fifth-graders–but somehow she still sets in motion just the kind of miracle the town needs.