What She Left

What She Left is the page-turning first book in the Martina Monroe Private Investigator Series. If you like high-stakes games, and jaw-dropping twists, then you'll love H.K. Christie's thrilling search for answers.

In this brilliantly modern novel of love, obsession, and revenge, a professor pieces together the life and mysterious death of a former student—and unearths a shocking revelation about her final days. “A deliciously modern take on the psychological thriller” (Daily Telegraph). On a snowy February morning, the body of twenty-five-year-old journalist Alice Salmon washes up on a riverbank south of London. The sudden, shocking death of this beloved local girl becomes a media sensation, and those who knew her struggle to understand what happened to lively, smart, and savvy Alice Salmon. Was it suicide? A tragic accident? Or…murder? Professor Jeremy Cooke, known around campus as Old Cookie, is an anthropologist nearing the end of his unremarkable academic career. Alice is his former student, and the object of his unhealthy obsession. After her death, he embarks on a final project—a book documenting Alice’s life through the digital and paper trails that survive her: her diaries, letters, Facebook posts, Tweets, and text messages. He collects news articles by and about her; he transcribes old voicemails; he interviews her friends, family, and boyfriends. Bit by bit, the real Alice—a complicated and vulnerable young woman—springs fully formed from the pages of Cookie’s book…along with a labyrinth of misunderstandings, lies, and secrets that cast suspicion on everyone in her circle—including Jeremy himself.

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from The orphan collector.

When Jana returns from a missions trip, she discovers that her pastor husband has left with his secretary...along with their bank account. Humiliated, penniless, pregnant, and very much alone, Jana reluctantly turns to her mother, Eleanor, in desperation. Eleanor is haunted by her own guilt and pain, and the arrival of her daughter only serves as a daily reminder of the memories she has long kept hidden away. Will a delightfully eccentric aunt become a catalyst between these two women? Will they allow God's spirit--and God's people--to bring true healing...and a future filled with love?

In this suspenseful thriller, Sara and her mother are going to secretly escape her abusive father—when her mother mysteriously disappears. Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it. With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.

Abandoned by his mother, teenaged Keith struggles with physical and emotional scars from an arson fire and harbors hatred for his half-sister, Maggie, who has been released from prison for her role in setting the fire.

You can go home again At eighteen, Savannah Greer has a dream and one shot to make it happen. Choosing big-city success in corporate law means putting her family's farm--and Sam McBriar--in her past. Now, years later, she's on a path toward home. And she has every intention of keeping the visit brief. Too bad life gets in the way. With Sam managing the farm, Savannah can't help but see him--everywhere He's as gorgeous as ever, and when he's with his little girl? Well, it would take a stronger woman than Savannah to resist him. It's not long before they're picking up where they left off...until old betrayals and long-buried secrets threaten to separate them for good.

Powerful stories about the many guises of family bonds.

When I open the door and see her, my mind starts churning. Why are they here? What do they want? And why did my daughter leave in the first place? Am I finally, after all of these years, going to find out? I take a deep breath and usher them in... Ruth has spent every day of the last fifteen years wondering why her daughter Isobel left. Walking around the school to which she has given her life, every child she sees reminds her of her family's bright future which vanished in an instant. So when Ruth opens the door to find Isobel and a teenage grandson she never knew existed, she feels a rush of relief. Despite the years of hurt she never stopped loving Isobel and wants to help rebuild her life. Enrolling her grandson at the school, Ruth wants to make sure they stay for good. Isobel has spent her life running from a painful secret. A secret which could have destroyed her family. Now, as she flees a bad relationship, she knows that her childhood home is the only place where she can be safe. But as Isobel looks at her son in his crisp new uniform, she is taken straight back to the reason she ran all those years ago. Soon it becomes clear that she is not the only one tormented by the past. Someone is prepared to destroy everything Ruth and Isobel hold dear. Can Isobel confront her darkest secret before it is too late? From the bestselling author of Who We Were Before comes a powerful and emotional page-turner about devastating family secrets. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Emily Bleeker and Imogen Clark. Readers love Why She Left: 'This story had me glued to my chair! You will not believe the twists and turns as you devour the pages! It has secrets fear, strength, mystery and suspense!... Do yourself a favor and put aside a day to read this novel. It is so good!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A stunning read-heartbreaking and gripping in equal measure, this family drama had everything I needed... I was hooked from the very first page... I love it when a book evokes such strong emotions...Highly recommended by me!' Mychestnutreadingtree, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A psychological thriller with more than a dash of family drama... The twists and turns in this book were something else. Just when I thought I had it sussed then the twists and turns lead me down a totally different path... set aside a day to read this because once you start you won't want to put it down.' Linda Strong Book Reviews Praise for Leah Mercer: 'Wow!!! Just absolutely wow!!!... Clear your schedules before you start this and get the tissues ready!... I was absolutely hooked... in tears by the end! Welcome to my top authors list!' Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three generations of Chinese-American women in a San Francisco family must confront their past and carve out a future in this extraordinary novel, a “haunting” debut full of “shimmering and unforgettable” characters. (New York Times Book Review) The Kong women are in crisis. A disastrous trip to visit her "home" orphanage in China has plunged eighteen-year-old Ari into a self-destructive spiral. Her adoptive mother, Charlie, a lawyer with a great heart, is desperate to keep her daughter safe. Meanwhile, Charlie must endure the prickly scrutiny of her beautiful, Bryn Mawr educated mother, Gran—who, as the daughter of a cultured Chinese doctor, came to America to survive Mao's Revolution—and her sister, Les, a brilliant judge with a penchant to rule over everyone's lives. As they cope with Ari's journey of discovery and its aftermath, the Kong women will come face to face with the truths of their lives—four powerful intertwining stories of accomplishment, tenacity, secrets, loneliness, and love. Beautifully illuminating the bonds of family and blood, The Year She Left Us explores the promise and pain of adoption, the price of assimilation and achievement, the debt we owe to others, and what we owe ourselves.