Book excerpt: Everyone has a story, but twenty-three-year-old Kate Clare thinks they're only found in the books she reads. She is quiet, curious, and a little lost due to her protective upbringing. She moves to a small town hidden in the Adirondacks, a place she was told would be safe. She stumbles upon an old bookshop, which attracts odd and eccentric people. The owner, Harry, employs her as his assistant, and they become good friends, until he starts keeping secrets. Bodies start to surface in the nearby forest, and it puts the town in fear. When Kate is rescued from falling off a ledge by a mysterious stranger, she thinks he could be the killer, but she is drawn in by how he looks at her. His strength surpasses all others, and he knows her by name. They form an unusual bond that turns into obsession. He finally reveals he knew her mother. That was more than twenty years ago, and she questions why he isn't older. When she stabs him in a surprising confrontation, her past is uncovered, and she begins to unravel the connections of the people around her. Kate is set on a path that will change her life forever. It becomes a turning point when she cuts herself on her hand and washes off the blood. She notices the gash has disappeared. All she can do is accept her fate and wait for Adrien's return.