Hester Young received a Master’s degree in English with a Creative Writing emphasis from the University of Hawaii. Her short stories have been published in various literary magazines. Before becoming a full-time writer, she was a teacher in Arizona and New Hampshire.
The Gates of Evangeline, Hester’s debut novel, introduces Charlotte (Charlie) Cates, a divorced magazine editor struggling to come to terms with the death of her preschool son, Keegan. Still in mourning, Charlie begins dreaming of children in danger. At first, these seem to be no more than the dreams of a bereaved mother, but she soon realizes these night visions involve much more.
Charlotte accepts an assignment to write a true-crime book about a missing child case, unsolved for 30 years: the disappearance of then 3-year old Gabriel Deveau from Evangeline, a plantation-era estate in Chicory, Louisiana. Arriving at Evangeline, Charlotte probes the case and learns the family’s failing matriarch, Hettie Deveau, may have the key to unlocking family secrets about the tragedy. Exploring the mystery, Charlotte begins uncovering long-buried secrets about love, money, betrayal and murder.
nswer questions with refreshing candor. Here are some of the most successful writers telling it like it is.
Sue Grafton is best known for her alphabet mystery series (A is for Alibi, etc.), with her feisty protagonist Kinsey Millhone. NPR’s Maureen Corrigan said the forthcoming conclusion of the alphabet series “makes me wish there were more than twenty-six letters at her disposal.”
f the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. She’s considered America’s foremost legal expert on sexual assault and domestic violence.
Linwood Barclay’s thrillers have been international bestsellers. Trust Your Eyes, an intriguing novel with a unique premise, has been optioned for film. The Associated Press said, “Linwood Barclay has established himself alongside the masters of suburban fiction.”
Sara Paretsky is the award-winning author of the V. I. Warshawski detective novels. In 1982, when Sara wrote Indemnity Only, she revolutionized the mystery novel by creating a hard-boiled woman investigator.
Brad Parks is the only author to have won crime fiction’s Shames, Nero, and Lefty Awards. As in his five previous novels, his protagonist, Carter Ross, is an investigative reporter for Newark’s Eagle-Examiner.