M.I.A.
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
“Tautly crafted, Dymmoch’s bittersweet journey of discovery glimmers with subtle tension”—from the award-winning author of the Caleb and Thinnes mysteries (Booklist).
The accidental death of Rhiann Fahey’s second husband leaves her paralyzed by grief and has her son Jimmy cutting school and drinking. The widow’s problems are compounded by unwanted advances from her dead husband’s friend. She does her best to cope, returning to work, dealing patiently with Jimmy’s misbehavior, telling Rory Sinter she isn’t interested.
Then a mysterious stranger moves next door. John Devlin offers Rhiann beer and sympathy. He offers Jimmy work.
When Sinter tries to discredit John, then beat him to death, Rhiann comes to John’s rescue. But she discovers her perfect neighbor isn’t what he seems—which leads her to investigate, and to see John in a different light altogether.
A beautifully written story with characters who come to life from the first page, M.I.A. shows one more side of Michael Allen Dymmoch’s powerful storytelling ability.
“A compelling and well-written story about lost love, missing friends and new beginnings.”—Fresh Fiction
“[A] novel about enduring love and family secrets.”—Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dymmoch, a writer of crime and mystery novels, takes a turn in this mostly successful novel about enduring love and family secrets. Rhiann Fahey's second husband, Mickey, a cop, was killed in a car crash, and his best cop-friend, Rory Sinter, is determined to look after Rhiann, even if she finds him creepy. Rhiann's son, Jimmy, born during her first marriage and now a teenager, is curious about his birth father and the extended family he never met. (They cut off Rhiann after Jimmy's dad went MIA in Vietnam.) John Devlin, their new next-door neighbor, gives Jimmy a job in his garage and offers guidance to Jimmy and support to Rhiann. As the bonds between Rhiann, John and Jimmy grow, so does Rory Sinter's erratic behavior. Rhiann flashes back frequently to her younger years around the time she got pregnant, setting the stage for a couple of secrets to be revealed toward the novel's end. Though the secrets aren't exactly surprising, readers will stick with the story to see how unhinged Rory gets.
