Family Ties Family Lies
It’s not easy keeping secrets in a small town.
Rose Webster is facing down her fortieth birthday and worrying about her future as a photojournalist after getting caught in a raucous rally and shoved to the hard pavement, destroying her camera and, at least temporarily, her livelihood. One arm is in a splint, her right hand isn’t strong enough to hold a cup of coffee, and bruised ribs make it difficult to breathe. She’s filling out insurance claims when her aunt calls to tell her she’s needed in upstate New York to care for her ailing mother.
Rose has never liked returning to Lake Amelia in the foothills of the Adirondacks for more than a couple of days, but she has no choice. Doctors discover Rose’s mother has more health issues than anyone suspected, and Rose needs to help care for her. While poking around in the attic of her childhood home, Rose discovers personal items of her late father’s that hint of a secret life: a photo hidden in a book and a travel bag that hasn’t been opened in twelve years.
Rose’s next startling discovery sends shockwaves through her family. She’s more determined than ever to find answers no matter the cost. But will she regret what she learns and how it changes the way she thinks about family?
Praise for Family Ties Family Lies
Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Second Novel: FINALIST
Indie Reader Discovery Awards: Women’s Fiction Winner
The Book Fest Awards: Women’s Mystery Fiction: FIRST PLACE
National Indie Excellence Awards: FINALIST, Regional Fiction, Northeast
“Boulden’s story presents small-scale but beguiling mysteries backgrounded by a vibrant portrait of a small town that’s both warmly close-knit and slightly claustrophobic. It’s also a meditation on family love, loss, and remembrance, conveyed in plangent prose grounded in rich, concrete detail…”
—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“A sweet slow burn—as past and present collide in this compelling tale of small-town drama, family ties, and life-changing surprises. When a determined journalist investigates the story of her own life—she unearths answers she never could have predicted. A novel full of loving details and devastating decisions—so curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy this emotional and relatable story.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today Bestselling Author
“IPPY Award-winning author Jacqueline Boulden has delivered a powerful and poignant tale about fateful choices and the transformative power of forgiveness. You won’t want to miss this heart-wrenching but uplifting story about the strength and flexibility of family. Complex, captivating and compelling. Fans of small-town dramas will love Family Ties Family Lies.”
—Tina deBellegarde, Agatha nominated author of Winter Witness and Dead Man’s Leap
—Jack Rightmyer, Albany Times Union
—Suzie Housley, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Boulden’s contemporary drama closely explores unspoken familial inheritances and the hidden selves our loved ones will never know…. The journey to uncover the family secret is engaging; readers will eagerly follow Rose as she employs journalist skills to solve the mystery.”
—Blue Ink Reviews