"I've come to think of these characters as cherished friends ... I've loved each of the books, but this one was particularly enjoyable." ~L. G. Yaldezian

Laurel Falls, N.C. 1994: I would never have risked so much if it hadn't been for that kid. Astrid Holt, a force of nature. She brightened things at Coburn's General Store every time she stopped by for recipe ideas—at eight years old! (That should tell you something about what was going on in her household.) So when Astrid's mother disappeared—lost in the woods? kidnapped? murdered?—how could I turn my back on her?

My friend Abit Bradshaw and I joined the search. It started close to home in our small town of Laurel Falls, then extended farther into the mountains of North Carolina. When that failed to turn up clues, the investigation reached the streets of Washington, D.C., my old stomping grounds.

Abit and I often asked ourselves if we would ever get to the bottom of all their secrets and lies. Given how broken their family was, we also wondered if we should even try.

As it turned out, we weren't dealing with just the Holt's troubles. The tragic stories that unfolded cast a shadow over our own splintered families. Abit worried if he'd ever find someone faithful and true, and I wondered if I could hold on to what I had. ~Della Kincaid

You'll enjoy this suspenseful mystery because who doesn't yearn to see wrongs righted?

If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series.

Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations.

Welcome the Little Children is the third novel in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel.