by: Rachel Dacus
Series: The Invisibles
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: January 4, 2024
Publisher: Time Fold Books
A suspenseful, uplifting story of second chances, family bonds, and redemption.
Sisters Elinor and Saffron rarely see eye-to-eye, but they agree that an unknown half-brother appearing in their lives can only spell trouble. The Greene sisters want to support their ailing mother, Betsy, as they gather in their cottage in Lerici, Italy. But they don’t want Betsy to keep searching for Baby Boy, the only name they have on faded adoption papers.
While the Greenes debate, Baby Boy finds them. A rough childhood has led Daniel to a life as a thief. When he learns of his connection to the wealthy Greenes, he decides to scam them. He goes to Italy and using a fake identity observes them at close range. Watching these people makes him ache for what he never had—a loving family.
Betsy is touched by the young man’s story and guesses their hidden connection. Discovering his true identity, she asks the family to help him. But Daniel’s shady past is catching up and putting the Greenes at risk. Should they bring their lost lamb into the fold—and can he claim his heritage if it endangers his family?
Elinor picked up the letter from the stack of today’s mail on the dining table. The return address was casella postale, a postal box with a number and no name. A clumsy advertisement? The lack of information made her curious enough to open it, though she knew it was going to be junk mail.
Dear Ms. Greene,
I know you have a lost relative, a half-brother your family abandoned. If you do not wish to have this dirty secret publicly revealed, you may send five hundred sixty-two euros by return mail, and nothing will ever be published. No scandal will ever happen if you pay me right now.
Yours sincerely,
A Well Wisher
Dread prickled through her scalp and dripped to her shoulders. She hunched them to shake it off. How wrong she’d been. This was no junk mail, it was aimed at her personally. There was a return address and a demand for money. A scam—but how would anyone know about Baby Boy? That was private, that was even sealed in a closed adoption. Betsy couldn’t find him with all her amateur sleuthing around.
Another chill ripped through her. This person must have hired a detective, but if so, why ask for so little? And why assume the family considered it a dark enough secret to pay to keep it concealed? Plenty of people had unplanned pregnancies that became children given up for adoption. Back in the days when Nathan was a professor at UC Berkeley, it wasn’t enough to pay to conceal, and certainly not an odd sum like this person was demanding.
Something smelled fishy. A “well wisher”? Seriously? And the phrase “by return mail” struck her as American. Yet the return address PO box was in Rome. It seemed more likely that a blackmail attempt would come from an American who had somehow discovered the existence of Baby Boy. Could it be from someone who had adopted the child and now wanted some sort of reimbursement? But the amount was ridiculously small. Blackmailers didn’t take the risk for so little. She knew that much from her addiction to crime dramas and mysteries.
This was one lame blackmailer, or … could it be from Baby Boy himself? Had he somehow found them?
Dear Ms. Greene,
I know you have a lost relative, a half-brother your family abandoned. If you do not wish to have this dirty secret publicly revealed, you may send five hundred sixty-two euros by return mail, and nothing will ever be published. No scandal will ever happen if you pay me right now.
Yours sincerely,
A Well Wisher
Dread prickled through her scalp and dripped to her shoulders. She hunched them to shake it off. How wrong she’d been. This was no junk mail, it was aimed at her personally. There was a return address and a demand for money. A scam—but how would anyone know about Baby Boy? That was private, that was even sealed in a closed adoption. Betsy couldn’t find him with all her amateur sleuthing around.
Another chill ripped through her. This person must have hired a detective, but if so, why ask for so little? And why assume the family considered it a dark enough secret to pay to keep it concealed? Plenty of people had unplanned pregnancies that became children given up for adoption. Back in the days when Nathan was a professor at UC Berkeley, it wasn’t enough to pay to conceal, and certainly not an odd sum like this person was demanding.
Something smelled fishy. A “well wisher”? Seriously? And the phrase “by return mail” struck her as American. Yet the return address PO box was in Rome. It seemed more likely that a blackmail attempt would come from an American who had somehow discovered the existence of Baby Boy. Could it be from someone who had adopted the child and now wanted some sort of reimbursement? But the amount was ridiculously small. Blackmailers didn’t take the risk for so little. She knew that much from her addiction to crime dramas and mysteries.
This was one lame blackmailer, or … could it be from Baby Boy himself? Had he somehow found them?
Purchase Return to Lerici from:
(Affiliate Links Used)
Places to find Rachel Dacus:
You can follow the Return to Lerici Blurb Blitz here.
Thank you for featuring this book today. It's appreciated!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good book. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover and the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the excerpt. Sounds like an interesting book
ReplyDeleteGood excerpt, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks for the share. This looks like a great read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book. I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blackmail scam letter! Sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this well done excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing it.
What to you, are the most important elements of good writing?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great novel. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have a hard time putting this book down after starting to read it.
ReplyDeleteDid you get a lot of encouragement when you decided to become an author?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever started a book that you decided not to finish?
ReplyDeleteWhat inspired you to write this book?
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite part of this book and why?
ReplyDeleteHow do you come up with names for the characters?
ReplyDeleteWhat part of the book was the most fun to write?
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading the excerpt- well done!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite author and/or genre?
ReplyDeleteDid you have any writing education?
ReplyDeleteDoes writing energize or exhaust you?
ReplyDeleteDid you ever write a book that made you cry?
ReplyDeleteWhat advice do you have for writers?
ReplyDeleteHow many books have you written and which is your favorite?
ReplyDeleteHow did you decide on the cover for this book?
ReplyDeleteHow many hours a day do you write?
ReplyDeleteWhat age were you when you first started writing?
ReplyDeleteHow do you select the names of your characters?
ReplyDeletelooks like a good read
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your new release.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really great book to read.
ReplyDelete