Sarah Graves – författare

Perfect for fans of Jenny Milchman, Linda Castillo, and Lisa Gardner—the first book in a suspenseful new crime thriller series featuring the tough but haunted police chief Lizzie Snow, a big-city cop with a mission, taking on a small town with a dark side.   Moving from Boston to remote Bearkill, Maine, isn’t homicide cop Lizzie Snow’s idea of a step up. But breaking away from tragedy and personal betrayal is at least a step in the right direction. Her dead sister’s fate still torments her, as does her long-missing niece’s disappearance. Lizzie hopes to find the mysteriously vanished child here, amid the coming ice and snow. But in the Great North Woods, something darker and more dangerous than punishing winter is also bound for Bearkill.   The town is a world apart in more than distance—full of people who see everything, say little, and know more than they’ll share with an outsider. The only exceptions are the handsome state cop who once badly broke Lizzie’s heart and desperately wants another chance—and Lizzie’s new boss, sheriff Cody Chevrier, who’s counting on her years of homicide experience to help him solve his most troubling case, before it’s too late.   A rash of freak accidents and suicides has left a string of dead men—all former local cops. Now the same cruel eyes that watched them die are on Lizzie—and so is the pressure to find out what sort of monster has his hooks in this town, what his ruthless game is, and just how brutally he’ll play to win. Whatever the truth is, its twisted roots lie in the desolate backwoods of Aroostook County: where the desperate disappear, the corrupt find shelter, and the innocent lose everything. It’s there that a cunning and utterly cold-blooded killer plans the fate of the helpless lives at his mercy—one of whom may be the lost child Lizzie will do anything to save. As a blizzard bears down, and Bearkill’s dark secrets claw their way to the surface, Lizzie gears up for a showdown that could leave the deep, driven snow stained blood red.   Praise for Winter at the Door  “Sarah Graves writes with grace and intelligence, and a love for her state shines through in this stylish debut of a new series set against Maine’s dark and foreboding forests. I’m hooked!”—Margaret Maron, New York Times bestselling author of Designated Daughters   “Fast and dangerous, an extraordinarily entertaining read, Winter at the Door grabbed me from the thrilling first page.”—Linda Castillo, New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Will Tell   “Readers who enjoy Linda Castillo and Lisa Gardner will welcome Lizzie, a strong, motivated woman making her way in the frozen north.”—Booklist   “Lizzie is edgy and independent. . . . Taking a page from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, two hunky guys pursue Lizzie, each stumbling over the other as they try to protect a woman who really can protect herself. Readers can relax in Graves’s able hands as she spins a complex tale with twists and turns that feel earned, and a character who knows exactly who she is.”—The Boston Globe   “An entertaining story that proceeds to an explosive conclusion.”—Mystery Scene   “A superbly suspenseful mystery with likable tough cop Lizzie and a town full of character. It’s bound to appeal to readers who enjoy Jenny Milchman’s books.”—Library Journal (starred review)From the Hardcover edition.

Sure to thrill readers of Jenny Milchman, Linda Castillo, and Lisa Gardner, The Girls She Left Behind marks the return of ex–Boston homicide detective Lizzie Snow, the new sheriff’s deputy in Maine’s Great North Woods.For Lizzie Snow, the ice and snow of her first punishing North Woods winter are dreadful enough. But near the small town of Bearkill a stubborn forest fire now rages out of control, and as embers swirl dangerously in the smoke-filled air, a teenage girl with a history of running away has dropped out of sight again. The locals and the law both think Tara Wylie is up to her old tricks—until her mother receives a terrifying text message.   Equally disturbing: Henry Gemerle—a kidnapper and rapist who once held three girls prisoner for fifteen years—has escaped, and may be lurking in Bearkill. As the fire closes in, Lizzie teams up with her boss, Sheriff Cody Chevrier, and state cop Dylan Hudson to search for the missing girl and the wily fugitive. But they’re blocked by Tara’s mother, a frustrating teller of needless lies and keeper of dark, incomprehensible secrets.   Following a trail of grisly clues—a bloodstained motel room, a makeshift coffin in a shallow grave—Lizzie is drawn ever closer to the flames in her race to save an innocent and corner a monster. Someone else also wants to find Tara Wylie and Henry Gemerle, though, for reasons that have nothing to do with mercy or justice. And when they all meet, the inferno threatening Bearkill will pale in comparison to the hell that’s about to break loose.Praise for The Girls She Left Behind   “[Sarah] Graves writes at full strength when she’s focused on this economically depressed region, once the hub of a thriving lumber industry but now mostly the domain of meth cooks, unhappy teenagers and scores of volunteer firefighters battling tenacious blazes in the surrounding forest. . . . [A] rugged landscape with its down-to-earth characters.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times  “Graves is firing on all cylinders. Lizzie Snow is a dynamic protagonist, just the right blend of capable and flawed. The fictional town of Bearkill is definitely coming into its own—the richness of the backdrop seems destined only to increase. And Graves has spent years demonstrating an ability to construct textured, nuanced mysteries. Put it all together and The Girls She Left Behind is another worthwhile entry in this series.”—The Maine Edge “Graves’s dark second Lizzie Snow mystery examines the ugly, soul-destroying things that mark the aftermath of a child abduction.”—Publishers Weekly   “Insightful and twisted . . . an action-packed psychological thriller that readers cannot put down . . . This haunting novel is a must-read.”—RT Book Reviews   “[A] tense and fast-paced tale of love gone horribly and fantastically wrong.”—Kirkus Reviews   “Well-observed and craftily orchestrated, The Girls She Left Behind is a solid entry in what is shaping up to be a strong Maine mystery series. Readers are likely to warm to Lizzie Snow and eagerly await her next appearance.”—Portland Press-Herald   “An engrossing and rapid read . . . Graves is clearly an expert mystery writer and the plot contains plenty of unexpected tangles and complexities to keep fans of the genre well-entertained.”—Pop MythologyFrom the Hardcover edition.

This fun new story from a rising star of culinary cozies is just what your sweet mystery tooth is craving. The Chocolate Moose Bakeshop and its irresistible pastries are as delicious and delightful as the fourth installment in the Death By Chocolate series by Sarah Graves.   As co-owners of Eastport’s beloved waterfront bakery, the Chocolate Moose, Jake and Ellie know their customers expect them to cream the competition at the town’s annual Cookie Baking Contest. But they’re really just in it for fun, hoping to get Jake’s daughter-in-law baking again. Those plans collapse when fearsome local curmudgeon Alvin Carter is murdered, and every crumb of evidence points to Tiptree family friend—and all-around sweet guy—Billy Breyer.   Billy’s sisters beg Jake and Ellie to prove his innocence. After all, lots of folks had gone sour on Alvin, whose popularity ranked somewhere between a toothache and the plague. But just as the ladies begin sifting through the suspects, a series of grass fires blaze across the island, threatening catastrophe. Now, Jake and Ellie will need all their courage—and an extra dash of that downeast Maine stubbornness—to sniff out the real killer before anyone else gets burned . . .  Includes a Recipe!“A treat for aficionados of shopkeeper-sleuth cozies." —Kirkus Reviews “Entertaining. . . . Cozy fans are sure to have fun.” —Publishers Weekly

From the bestselling author of the Home Repair is Homicide novels comes the latest in this “sharp, smart, and witty” (Crimespree) series set in a charming, real-life Maine fishing village, where chocolate-themed recipes, appealing characters, and an unpredictable mystery make the perfect mix for fans of Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier, and Diane Mott Davidson. Jake and Ellie are taking a break from perfecting their chocolate pizza recipe to cater a housewarming party hosted by movie icon Ingrid Merryfield. Miss Merryfield is famous for her old-Hollywood glamour. Her new home, Cliff House, has a reputation too—for being haunted. Some of her guests even try to summon a spirit during the party, using a Ouija board. What arrives instead is a freak autumn storm that downs an ancient tree, trapping everyone on the property and setting the stage for a killer’s planned spree . . .   Though Jake and Ellie don’t intend to get stirred into the mix, there’s no avoiding it—especially when they witness a guest being shoved over the very precipice that gave Cliff House its forbidding name. As they sift through suspects and motives, their search takes them from a long-lost family graveyard to an herbalist’s deceptively sweet cottage and finally to Cliff House’s overgrown gardens. Is there some ghostly presence involved—or a flesh-and-blood villain? Either way, can they avoid meeting their very own, very permanent Hollywood ending?  Praise for the Death by Chocolate Mysteries“A treat for aficionados of shopkeeper-sleuth cozies." —Kirkus Reviews “Entertaining. . . . Cozy fans are sure to have fun.” —Publishers Weekly Includes a Recipe!

The island village of Eastport, Maine, is full of delights—including the delicious treats sold at The Chocolate Moose, the waterfront bakery run by Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White. But a new bakery in town is proving that you can have too much of a good thing . . . Summer in Eastport means lobsters and blueberries, though tourists and locals alike always leave a little room for baked goods from the Chocolate Moose. This year’s arts fair means even more sweet-toothed customers. But it’s also bringing competition from a new rival, Choco’s, trying to slice into the action. Choco’s owner, Brad Fairway, is pulling sneaky stunts to divert Moose patrons to his own shop, and Ellie finally confronts him about his tactics. But when Brad is found dead the next day—and the weapon is a gun that belongs to Ellie—it’s only a matter of time before she is charged with the crime. Sifting through the victim’s connections, Jake and Ellie sense they’re getting close to the real culprit—a little too close. Can they serve up the solution before the killer dishes up another helping of murder?