Death's Shadow - True Tales of Homicide

"Olsen will have you on the edge of your seat." --Lee Child

The first time was easy. No one ever suspected the victim had been murdered. The crime long buried, the dark passions guiding the killer's hand are still alive. But the need for revenge cannot be denied. Only one person can stop the killing. Only one person can identify the killer. Only one person knows the face of death--is as close as the face in the mirror. . .

"Wickedly clever! Twisted."--Lisa Gardner

"Olsen writes rapid-fire page-turners." --Seattle Times

Life as Ava Garrison knew it ended the day her toddler son Noah went missing. In the two years since, she's been in and out of Seattle mental institutions, existing in a fog of grief. Noah's body was never found, and everyone assumed he drowned after falling off a dock. Until recently, Ava thought so too. . .

Is More Dangerous

Since she moved back home, Ava has experienced unsettling visions. She hears Noah crying in the nursery, glimpses him walking near the water. Her family, her psychologist, and her estranged husband are concerned for her well-being. Or are they worried about what she might discover?

Than The Truth

Did Noah really die, or is Ava losing her sanity? The deeper into her memories she goes, the more fearful she becomes. Ava thought her son's disappearance was the worst thing that could happen to her. But before this nightmare ends, she'll discover how terrifying the truth can be. . .

"A pure nail biter." --Harlan Coben

Others may dread the chill of winter, but he relishes it. The way the frigid water preserves his victims, the feel of their icy skin beneath his fingers. . . And soon the world will see their beauty--and his vengeance.

Afraid To Run

The town of Grizzly Falls is on edge in the wake of a serial killer, and Detective Selena Alvarez is no exception. That case was solved, but a new nightmare is about to unfold. There are two victims so far--their bodies found frozen solid and deliberately displayed. Both are women she knew. And each wears a piece of Selena's jewelry. . .

Afraid To Die

In May 2003, an Arizona man who'd bought dozens of sealed boxes at a self-storage facility's auction of unclaimed property made a horrifying discovery: the bodies of three plastic-wrapped infants, one of which had become mummified over the years. Police traced them to Dianne Odell, 50, a mother of eight children, who admitted the babies were hers but claimed that they'd died of natural causes. She'd kept the bodies for over twenty years before abandoning them.

In 1989, police had found the remains of a long-dead infant in a suitcase in the trunk of a car Odell had abandoned. The statute of limitations on manslaughter had saved her then from prosecution. She maintained that the fetus was the product of a rape by her father and, after he beat her, was stillborn.

Odell said her own domineering mother had forced her into teen prostitution and murdered what she viewed as "bastard children." Both parents were dead and unable to contradict her. Would Odell's stories sway the jury and buy her the mercy her babies were never granted? Or would she be forced to face the consequences of bringing innocent lives into the world--only to end them in cold blood. . .

Meredith Emerson was a recent college graduate who disappeared while taking her beloved dog, Ella, for a hike on Georgia's Blood Mountain on New Year's Day, 2008. Cheryl Dunlap was a nurse whose body was found in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest after she failed to show up to teach her regular Sunday School class in December 2007. Vibrant, beautiful, caring women, loved by their friends and families, with everything to live for. . .until they fell into the trap of Gary Michael Hilton, a former Green Beret paratrooper and expert outdoorsman with a twisted lust for violence. What they suffered at his hands was unspeakable. Even after two convictions, the question remains--how many innocent victims were prey to his evil designs?

Includes killer's shocking confession and 16 pages of dramatic photos.

Case seen on 48 Hours

In the midst of Pennsylvania's Amish country, on a peaceful summer night in 2008, the body of 45-year-old Jan Roseboro was found at the bottom of her backyard pool. Her husband Michael, a successful businessman and member of a prominent family, showed no emotion as he learned of her death. But the next day an autopsy revealed Jan had been savagely beaten and strangled before being tossed in the water to drown. Soon Michael's secret lover, pregnant with his child, stepped into the media spotlight. And a horrifying true story of illicit passion, deadly deceit, and cold-blooded murder unfolded. . .

"One of America's finest true-crime writers."--Vincent Bugliosi

"Phelps creates a vivid portrait." --Publishers Weeklyy