The First Stone

From a former juvenile court prosecuting attorney comes a dark thriller set along the banks of the Mississippi River.

Detetive Marie Barber drinks too much and sleeps around too much, and has a penchant for pissing people off. Her last weeks on the job in the small midwestern town of Cedar Bluff is going about as she expected--that is, until the body of a young girl is found in an abandoned house. Who and why would anyone kill an innocent 14-year-old? And does this have anything to do with Marie's runaway niece, Louise?

With only days left before she is booted off the force, Marie digs into the victim's troubled past and makes a shocking discovery about the victim and Louise--a discovery that the rich and influential of Cedar Bluff would prefer to remain hidden.

While Marie fights the clock and the local power brokers, the murderer watches and plans the taking of another life. And this time, it's personal.