Competent, observant, and battle-hardened after serving in the Middle East, army veteran Kellen Adams has returned to the States and is settling into a job as assistant manager at Yearning Sands, an upscale, rather isolated resort on Washington's Pacific Coast. It is safe, remote, and just what she wanted—until the mutilated remains of the former hotel manager are discovered. Now Kellen is drawn into a bizarre smuggling mystery and the hunt for the deadly "Librarian," a killer who could be almost anyone—even vaguely familiar Max Di Luca. But Kellen has been living a lie, and with no memory of how she got a gunshot scar on her forehead, she can't help but wonder if the past has tracked her down. Skillful flashbacks gradually reveal the nagging mysteries in Kellen's clouded history as this haunted heroine faces her fears. A cameo by Sheriff Kateri Kwinault from Dodd's "Virtue Falls" books is sure to please fans and highlight the link between these two series. VERDICT Complex, intense, and engrossing, this riveting romantic thriller has a chilling gothic touch and just enough red herrings and twists to keep readers on edge. Dodd (The Woman Who Couldn't Scream) lives in Washington State. [Previewed in Joyce Sparrow's "Love Is All Around," LJ 10/15/17.]