In this tense, twisty domestic suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy, a woman returns to her sleepy hometown after her father’s disappearance and uncovers a dark web of family secrets that leaves her questioning everything. . .
Leaving Canton, Missouri, behind was no hardship for Jesse Hudson. When she was a teenager, her stepmother and stepsister abruptly disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Their bodies were never found, but Jesse’s father, Mac, became a murder suspect. When he too vanished, Jesse waited months for him to return. Finally, she left, bouncing from one bartending job to another for years.
Now Jesse is back, hoping to quickly sell her father’s old bar before moving on for good. But coming home to Canton’s quiet, cobblestone streets doesn’t go quite as expected. There are memories resurfacing, and ties that haven’t broken. Then her father’s lawyer makes a startling admission: before he disappeared, Mac had discovered that Jesse’s stepmother, Victoria, was living under an assumed name. “Victoria Hudson” never even existed. Who was she really?
Delving deeper, Jesse grows convinced that her father’s assumed death is tied to Victoria’s real identity. And looking to the past is yielding more than secrets. Someone has been waiting for this homecoming, for a chance to unleash revenge for sins real and imagined. And they’ll make sure that Jesse never leaves town again . . .
Praise for Alexandra Ivy: “For the tense fourth Pike, Wisconsin romantic suspense novel (after Unstable), Ivy spins a fast-paced tale of a small Wisconsin town with dark secrets and the unlikely couple determined to learn the truth…Ivy gives the mystery some exciting twists as Lia and Kaden learn to their peril that appearances can be deceiving. This smart, sexy thriller is sure to pique series fans.” —Publishers Weekly on Desperate Acts "Ivy's clever foreshadowing keeps the tension high throughout this fast-moving tale, and the romance sizzles." —Publishers Weekly on Pretend You’re Safe “Pretend You’re Safe is a pulse-raising romantic thriller. The romance sizzles, the vivid characters are engaging from page one and readers will be frantically awaiting their rescue as the drama reaches its climax.” —BookPage “Ominous, grisly.” —Bustle on Pretend You’re Safe "Alexandra Ivy gives readers a nice balance of romance and suspense in her fast-paced, well-plotted novel." —Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author on Pretend You’re Safe “Will grab you by the throat and not let you go…an emotional, pulse racing ride.” —Fresh Fiction on The Intended Victim “This riveting mystery captivated me from the prologue to its astonishing conclusion. The deeply involved plot has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. The world-building was excellent.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine on Desperate Acts
In this tense, twisty domestic suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy, a woman returns to her sleepy hometown after her father’s disappearance and uncovers a dark web of family secrets that leaves her questioning everything. . .
Leaving Canton, Missouri, behind was no hardship for Jesse Hudson. When she was a teenager, her stepmother and stepsister abruptly disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Their bodies were never found, but Jesse’s father, Mac, became a murder suspect. When he too vanished, Jesse waited months for him to return. Finally, she left, bouncing from one bartending job to another for years.
Now Jesse is back, hoping to quickly sell her father’s old bar before moving on for good. But coming home to Canton’s quiet, cobblestone streets doesn’t go quite as expected. There are memories resurfacing, and ties that haven’t broken. Then her father’s lawyer makes a startling admission: before he disappeared, Mac had discovered that Jesse’s stepmother, Victoria, was living under an assumed name. “Victoria Hudson” never even existed. Who was she really?
Delving deeper, Jesse grows convinced that her father’s assumed death is tied to Victoria’s real identity. And looking to the past is yielding more than secrets. Someone has been waiting for this homecoming, for a chance to unleash revenge for sins real and imagined. And they’ll make sure that Jesse never leaves town again . . .
Praise
Praise for Alexandra Ivy: “For the tense fourth Pike, Wisconsin romantic suspense novel (after Unstable), Ivy spins a fast-paced tale of a small Wisconsin town with dark secrets and the unlikely couple determined to learn the truth…Ivy gives the mystery some exciting twists as Lia and Kaden learn to their peril that appearances can be deceiving. This smart, sexy thriller is sure to pique series fans.” —Publishers Weekly on Desperate Acts "Ivy's clever foreshadowing keeps the tension high throughout this fast-moving tale, and the romance sizzles." —Publishers Weekly on Pretend You’re Safe “Pretend You’re Safe is a pulse-raising romantic thriller. The romance sizzles, the vivid characters are engaging from page one and readers will be frantically awaiting their rescue as the drama reaches its climax.” —BookPage “Ominous, grisly.” —Bustle on Pretend You’re Safe "Alexandra Ivy gives readers a nice balance of romance and suspense in her fast-paced, well-plotted novel." —Kat Martin, New York Times bestselling author on Pretend You’re Safe “Will grab you by the throat and not let you go…an emotional, pulse racing ride.” —Fresh Fiction on The Intended Victim “This riveting mystery captivated me from the prologue to its astonishing conclusion. The deeply involved plot has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. The world-building was excellent.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine on Desperate Acts
