Patricia Snelling

Butterfly in a Jar Patricia Snelling

Meg loved the beautiful butterflies that frequented her garden, but her narcissistic husband, Lyle, enjoyed them more when he could trap them. He would watch the poor creatures suffocate to death slowly in a preserving jar while his wife looked on in horror-and then he pinned them onto a display board. After years of physical and mental battering, Meg freed a precious, blue butterfly and smashed the jar. Her tormentor forced her to the ground to pick up the shards of glass while he stood over her. Later, he made her accompany him on their regular Friday evening fishing ritual, forcing her to carry his fishing gear to the Heads-a dangerous fishing spot. But that day, when a rogue wave swept Lyle into the sea, he disappeared. Meg froze. It was his life versus hers and she turned to walk home. Later that night, her memory plagued her. Had she pushed him to his death off the ledge? While suffering from clinical amnesia when under stress, she couldn't remember if the fateful event actually happened. If he had drowned, was she capable of being a cold-blooded killer?

The detective, Ann Grieves, offers to help Meg unravel the turmoil in her brain-but will she ever be ready to accept the truth?