Vanessa Lillie – författare

A visceral and compelling mystery about a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is summoned to rural Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women…one of them her sister.There are secrets in the land.As an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Syd Walker spends her days in Rhode Island trying to protect the land's indigenous past, even as she’s escaping her own.While Syd is dedicated to her job, she’s haunted by a night of violence she barely escaped in her Oklahoma hometown fifteen years ago. Though she swore she’d never go back, the past comes calling.When a skull is found near the crime scene of her youth, just as her sister, Emma Lou, vanishes, Syd knows she must return home. She refuses to let her sister's disappearance, or the remains, go ignored—as so often happens in cases of missing Native women.But not everyone is glad to have Syd home, and she can feel the crosshairs on her. Still, the deeper Syd digs, the more she uncovers about a string of missing indigenous women cases going back decades. To save her sister, she must expose a darkness in the town that no one wants to face—not even Syd.The truth will be unearthed.

"The Bone Thief is a riveting mystery with a plot that seamlessly blends history with fiction. And Syd Walker is an unforgettable protagonist." —Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods Washington Post ‘Best Mystery Novel’ of 2025 When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.

"An 80s romp with big hair and even bigger secrets! Grab your popcorn and settle in for this incredibly fun and twisty read." — Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of You Shouldn't Have Come Here1985, Rhode Island.A private jet carrying four partners of a Providence law firm crashes outside New York City, killing all aboard but leaving behind more questions than answers and setting the stage for four widows to find the truth.Justine: a former fashion model adjusting to suburban lifeCamille: a beautiful, young second wife whom some suspect is a gold diggerMeredith: a stripper who was in a relationship with the firm's only female partnerKrystle: a founding partner's wife committed to the firm being a legacy for her sonsWhile the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something's not adding up: the team wasn't supposed to be in New York that day, and it's soon revealed there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane.The scene is as wild as '80s neon, and the manic chase to uncover the Mafia-laced secrets gives this rip-roaring read a rad vibe that will linger long after the '80s soundtrack fades and the hairspray falls."Young Rich Widows is hands down the most original thriller you'll read all year. Laugh out loud funny, twisty and full of surprises." — Wendy Walker, international bestselling author of What Remains

The Widows are back in this thrilling third installment of the Young Rich Widows series! This time, a Providence bank robbery-turned-kidnapping creates chaos, as rescuing one of their own finds them on the wrong side of the law, risking everything they've built since their spouses' murders: their friendship, their freedom, and even their lives.To save Meredith, the widows find themselves breaking out of jails and into graveyards, chasing the ghosts of indentured servants, and racing through the pirate tunnels under Providence.As if jailbreaks weren't enough, old loves have also come to haunt many of the widows. For Krystle, bringing her friend home risks exposing more of Sal’s criminal past and destroying any chance of a post-prison happily-ever-after. For Justine, it means throwing herself into the crosshairs of both the law and her mother-in-law, threatening custody of her son and the career she needs to give them a fresh start. For Camille, bringing her bestie home tests her responsibilities to her new, found family and the firm she inherited.Pressuring the widows’ loyalty even more are Meredith’s own conflicted feelings about newcomer Grace. Meredith begins to question what she’s really running from— or returning to. Sure, it’s 1988, and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is blaring on the radio. But maybe bad girls have the real blast.The widows’ genuine bond has gotten them out of sticky situations time and time again. In this treacherous world of liars and thieves, however, their ties to each other will have to withstand the pull of what they want for themselves. And sisterhood might not be enough to save them.

Suspected of a murder she can’t remember, a troubled woman takes an unusual approach to proving her innocence in this gripping thriller from the bestselling author of Little Voices.When Jules Worthington-Smith’s wallet is found next to a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. After struggling for years to build the perfect family and career, she’s dangerously close to losing everything.Sure of her innocence, Jules is desperate to clear her name. But there’s one big problem: she was blackout drunk when the murder took place and can’t remember what happened.Unsatisfied with the police’s handling of the case, Jules embarks on her own gin-fueled murder investigation. As she uncovers fresh clues, she starts a true-crime vlog that becomes a viral sensation, pushing her into the public eye. It’s not long before the ordeal forces Jules to confront her demons, including her turbulent childhood and excessive drinking.The deeper Jules digs, the more dirt she uncovers about the murder and herself. Unexpected truths pile up until she’s buried so deep even finding the killer might not be enough to set her free.