by Victoria MichaelsPublish: Oct 06, 2026 Series: The ValleyThrillerSuspenseMysteryWomen's Fiction
Book Overview
Families are messy. The Briggs family just knows how to hide its flaws.
When Vancouver homicide detective Mara Briggs returns to the Valley, concerned about her mother’s health, she expects to find a family struggling with old wounds.
Instead, she finds secrets.
A suspicious death. Missing and dead former husbands. Unexplained activity at the family ranch. Old alliances with new motives. Young family members getting in over their heads. And sisters who have spent years protecting secrets they never intended to share.
The closer Mara gets to the truth, the more she begins to question everything she thought she knew about the people she loves most.
Because secrets have a way of surfacing.
And when the line between protecting your family and protecting the truth begins to disappear, Mara will have to decide which side she’s willing to stand on.
Because the truth can destroy the people you love.
And sometimes, protecting your family means becoming part of its secrets.
BIOGRAPHY Victoria Michaels writes women's domestic thrillers and suspense novels about secrets, betrayal, dangerous relationships, and the truths people will do almost anything to hide.
Her stories explore the dark side of ordinary lives—where families aren't always what they seem, love can become dangerous, and the people we trust most may have the most to hide.
With strong women, complicated relationships, unexpected twists, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, Victoria's novels keep readers turning pages long after they think they've figured out the truth.