Julia Whelan

Tell Me / Close to Home Julia Whelan

TELL ME
Twenty years ago, Blondell O'Henry was convicted of murdering her eldest daughter and wounding her two other children. The prosecution argued that Blondell wanted to be rid of them to be with her lover.

Now Blondell's son, has recanted his testimony and demolished the case in the process. Reporter Nikki Gillette is determined to get the true story, and not just for professional reasons. Blondell's murdered daughter, Amity, was Nikki's childhood friend. The night she died, Amity begged Nikki to meet with her, insisting she had a secret to tell, but Nikki didn't go. Her guilt is compounded by other complications--Nikki's favorite uncle, Alexander, was the attorney who saved Blondell from execution.

Nikki's fiance, Detective Pierce Reed, is concerned she may be compromising the case. As she digs for answers, he also worries for her safety. Everyone involved seems to have secrets, from Blondell's old boyfriend and his fundamentalist, snake-handling in-laws to the cop who led the original investigation. And somehow, the events of that tragic night connect to Nikki's own fractured family.

Now the killing has begun again. Is Amity's murderer still at large, or is this a danger? Soon Nikki will discover what really happened twenty years ago, but the answers may come too late to save her life...

CLOSE TO HOME
Vowing to make a fresh start, Sarah McAdams has come home to renovate the old Victorian mansion where she grew up. Her daughters, Jade and Gracie, aren't impressed by the rundown property on the shores of Oregon's wild Columbia River. As soon as they pull up the isolated drive, Sarah too is beset by uneasy memories.

Ever since the original mistress of the house plunged to her death almost a century ago, there have been rumors that the place is haunted. As a girl, Sarah sensed a presence there, and soon Gracie claims to see a lady in white running up the stairs. Still, Sarah has little time to dwell on ghost stories, between overseeing construction and dealing with the return of a man from her past.

But there's a more urgent menace in the small town. Teenage girls are disappearing. Frantic for her daughters' safety, Sarah feels her veneer cracking and the house's walls closing in on her again. Somewhere deep in her memory is the key to a very real danger. Only by confronting her fears can she stop the nightmare roaring back to life once more....