Scott Singleton, former NFL star and current celebrity face of the Church of the True Divine Light, has a vacation home on Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. He and his family are on the island celebrating Thanksgiving, until someone brutally murders all seven of them.
Joe, the property caretaker, is the main suspect, although he adamantly denies any involvement in the murders. Meanwhile, four hours away, in Leavenworth, Wash., Laura Gretchell has been following the murders, appalled to see such violence relatively close to home. She and her husband recently purchased a secluded vineyard in the small town, but he's in France doing wine research. When she hears that Joe has fled police custody in the company of a man named Vic, known to be mentally ill, Laura starts jumping at every little noise. She tells herself there's no reason to fear--until suddenly, Joe and Vic are in Laura's house, holding her children hostage, and she has no choice but to meet their demands. These demands send her on a crazy hunt across Washington, trying to placate the two men and keep her children alive.
Terrifying and fast-paced, They Won't Be Hurt is any parent's worst nightmare. Kevin O'Brien (Unspeakable, Killing Spree) has written a thriller that ratchets the tension high. Fans of Karin Slaughter or David Baldacci are sure to find it irresistible. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.