Bøker av Susan Finlay

Steve and Claire Jensen, a frightened couple who ran away from the Witness Protection Program, are desperate to protect their young children from the bad men targeting the family and the government officials who want to force them to testify despite the danger. Unexpectedly, the couple gets the offer of a lifetime-refuge in a 'secret' town that is off-the-grid and free of government control. The town takes care of its own; the only requirement is that all healthy adults, except caregivers, work in the town. Soon after they arrive, the family can't believe their good-fortune. The idyllic town nestled in a wooded canyon offers peace and quiet and a small bustling community. But they discover that no place is perfect-government or not, there's always someone in charge. After weeks there, Claire begins to notice peculiarities. What is it about this place that gives her goosebumps? Is there a bigger secret than the town's location, or is she paranoid because of the nightmares she's endured? When Steve begins to notice, too, they don't know if they're both over-reacting, worried over nothing, or if there's a hidden agenda to the 'secret' town.

Juliet Powell, a former child-prodigy, wants her old life back-a life where she was happy, in love, and sheltered, a life working as a well-respected math professor in Massachusetts. What she has, instead, is a life in hiding and only partially protected under the witness protection program. She tells herself she will eventually adapt to her new life, but with each new identity comes more stories and more chances of getting them entangled. She's getting further and further away from who she really is. When she blows her cover yet again, her handler warns her this is her last chance. She needs to blend in like a chameleon and play the game, but how can someone who has always believed in honesty suddenly become a convincing liar? Compounding her problem with this new move, a political maneuver not of her choice and not within the usual rules of witness protection, ensconces her in the role of principal at a Denver high school full of gangs, drug dealers, and disgruntled employees. And then, when she discovers that a stranger is watching her and her young son, and her handler can't or won't move her, she must decide whether to run away and take her chances, or stay and fight to make the school safer. It's a book that on the surface deals with school violence and fear, but at the heart of it is a woman's struggle with lying and deception, trust, self-identity, and the moral decline of society.

In this gripping and emotional dual-timeline genealogical mystery, the fourth in the Tangled Roots series, Lucas Landry journeys alone to the Czech Republic in search of clues about his mother's ancestors after discovering what he'd always believed about her heritage was wrong. Bohemia and Broken Hearts is a poignant and gripping genealogical mystery that explores the intricate threads of family relationships, love, trust, and war. Lucas Landry, a Californian, moved to Germany with his wife and children to explore his paternal ancestry but a recent event has left him disenchanted with genealogy. When his brother Seth discovers some surprising information about their mother's ancestry, Lucas reluctantly embarks on a journey to the Czech Republic to uncover the truth. However, what seems like a simple trip becomes a maze of unforeseen problems that Lucas could not have predicted. Alternating with Lucas's story are the tales of his ancestors, Simon Muskowsky and Marie, who find themselves trapped in WWII in the tiny village of Klein Mohrau, Sudetenland. Their love story unfolds amidst the chaos of war and the struggles of daily life. As Lucas delves deeper into his family's history, he discovers more about his mother's ancestry and his own roots. However, what he truly longs for is to mend his shattered marriage and reunite with his wife and children. Bohemia and Broken Hearts is a beautifully written novel that weaves together the past and present, revealing the intricate connections between generations. It is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama.

Joshua Clayton abandons his lavish vacation in Paris when a terrible betrayal forces him to take inventory of his life. Avoiding going home, he accepts a temporary job as handyman for an elderly woman, Paulette Lapierre, in a small French village, but ends up as her caregiver in the final days of her life.When he stumbles across human remains on Paulette's property, the secrets she had hoped would die with her come to the surface. A decades old murder filled with lies, love, and twists draw Joshua into the investigation. But the deeper he goes, the more nothing is as it appears. Joshua and Paulette must race to find the killer before the killer finds them.

"e;Early on you are assailed by an image so potently repellent, so graphically horrible that it squats in your brain and refuses to be dislodged."e; Jonathan Meades"e;Susan Finlay has a staggeringly beautiful prose style that belies a devastating viciousness. And, what's more, she knows how to tell a story."e; Anouchka GroseDescription - "e;I had just gotten away from it all, by which I mean all those ordinary, boring things like skyscrapers, cigar-smoking industrialists, linoleum, plastics, television, westerns and marihuana. I had either seen or heard about them. Whether they are good or bad is beside the point..."e;A nameless graphic designer is haunted by the concentration camp in which he was once interned. Obsessed with his past, as well as Italy's present 'economic miracle', he retreats to a rural villa where he decorates the rooms with "e;arrows, signs, advertisements"e;; invents a new, purposefully incomprehensible typeface; and attempts to devise a marketing campaign for stones. Upon finally returning to Milan life becomes even more unbalanced. He loses his job and acquires a mistress whom he soon confuses both with his wife and the memory of the young, Czech woman he abandoned at the end of the war. Known primarily as a screenwriter for Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini and Andrei Tarkovsky among many others, Tonino Guerra also wrote poetry and fiction. Reissued to mark the centenary of his birth, and with a new introduction by acclaimed cultural critic Michael Bracewell, Equilibrium remains a relevant, powerful, and intensely visual account of a broken but (post-)modern man.