9/21 Jess Montgomery

Ohioan Author Jess Montgomery visits Riverstone Books to share the secrets of her historical mystery THE ECHOES

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The fourth in Jess Montgomery's evocative Kinship series, The Echoes combines exquisite storytelling with extraordinary crime plotting.

As July 4, 1928 approaches, Sheriff Lily Ross and her family look forward to the opening of an amusement park in a nearby town, created by Chalmer Fitzpatrick—a veteran and lumber mill owner. When Lily is alerted to the possible drowning of a girl, she goes to investigate, and discovers schisms going back several generations, in an ongoing dispute over the land on which Fitzpatrick has built the park.

Lily's family life is soon rattled, too, with the revelation that before he died, her brother had a daughter, Esme, with a woman in France, and arrangements have been made for Esme to immigrate to the U.S. to live with them. But Esme never makes it to Kinship, and soon Lily discovers that she has been kidnapped. Not only that, but a young woman is indeed found murdered in the fishing pond on Fitzpatrick's property, at the same time that a baby is left on his doorstep.

As the two crimes interweave, Lily must confront the question of what makes family: can we trust those we love? And what do we share, and what do we keep secret?

Jess Montgomery writes a Writer's Digest magazine column, Level Up Your Writing (Life) and was formerly the "Literary Life" columnist for the Dayton Daily New_. Based on early chapters of the first book in the Kinship Series, The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist's grant for literary arts and named the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She also hosts the podcast, "Tea with Jess: Chatting with Authors & Artists." Jess lives in her native state of Ohio.

The Echoes: A Novel (The Kinship Series #4) By Jess Montgomery Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250623423
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - March 29th, 2022

The fourth in Jess Montgomery's evocative Kinship series, The Echoes combines exquisite storytelling with extraordinary crime plotting.

"A beautifully written tour de force." —Linda Castillo on The Stills


The Widows: A Novel (The Kinship Series #1) By Jess Montgomery Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250223203
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Minotaur Books - January 7th, 2020

The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller.” —Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-Finalist The Bright Forever

Inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff, Jess Montgomery’s powerful, lyrical debut is the story of two women who take on murder and corruption at the heart of their community.


The Hollows: A Novel (The Kinship Series #2) By Jess Montgomery Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250781697
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - January 12th, 2021

Jess Montgomery showcases her skills as a storyteller in The Hollows: a powerful, big-hearted and exquisitely written follow-up to her highly acclaimed debut The Widows.


The Stills: A Novel (The Kinship Series #3) By Jess Montgomery Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250830456
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - January 4th, 2022

With compassion and insight, Jess Montgomery weaves a gripping mystery and portrait of community in The Stills, the powerful third novel in the Kinship series.