Don't You Cry

Twentysomething Quinn is awakened from a hangover one Sunday at 6:00 a.m. by her roommate Esther's blaring alarm clock. Esther's window is open (odd during a Chicago winter), but Quinn becomes concerned about her roommate's absence only when she selfishly craves the breakfast Esther usually brings her after church. The police aren't worried yet, but Quinn enlists the help of her cute coworker Ben to help find out where her roommate might be. They uncover clues that lead to Quinn suspecting Esther of murder—is Quinn next on her roommate's death list? Meanwhile, an hour up the coast of Lake Michigan, 18-year-old Alex has given up a college scholarship to wash dishes at a diner in order to care for his father, an alcoholic. When he notices a mysterious, beautiful girl in his restaurant, he befriends her, hoping for a romance. Told in alternating voices, Alex's and Quinn's separate mysteries combine in a surprising way. Readers will immediately sense that Quinn might be an unreliable narrator, but the author doesn't make the puzzle easy to solve. The unexpected twist at the end will be a bombshell for most readers.