Land on the Verge of Darkness

by John M. Moody

During the summer following her high school graduation, Wendy Castillo boarded a bus to take her away from Fairfax, Texas. She wanted to travel far from her indifferent, alcoholic mother and into a world where no one knew her. As she fled to seek a better life, she vowed never to return.Twelve years later, after stepping off another bus in Fairfax, she has broken her vow. Her life didn't work out as she hoped. In Wendy's opinion, nothing ever did. Even so, Fairfax will only be a temporary stopover before moving on to greener pastures - somewhere, anywhere besides Fairfax.Wendy was never able to speak to her mother after leaving town, and she ending up in Manhattan, running a somewhat unusual business, an occult shop. But she has left her old life behind - or at least, she hopes she has. In any case, she has just received an inheritance following her mother's death. The old family home, resting on the hillside at the edge of town, now belongs to Wendy. She hopes to sell the place as rapidly as she can. Maybe the money will give her a chance to start fresh - again.In one respect, Fairfax seems different from when she escaped; it appears to be dying an even swifter death than she remembered. Businesses in downtown sit empty. Houses look rundown. Prospects are about as bleak as the open plains that surround the town. And regarding death, Wendy soon learns that her mother did not simply die - she was murdered! Rumors also abound of drugs and devil worshipers, and of people who suffer unexpected mental illness ... not to mention the talk about a mysterious company that is buying up prime real estate only to let it sit idle, driving still more nails into the town's coffin.To her astonishment, however, Wendy accidently bumps into Tom Grier almost as soon as she steps into town. While in high school, she secretly loved Tom. He was the football team's star player, and he always treated everyone with respect, including Wendy (at the time in her life when almost no one else did). Tom never knew of her feelings. Her timid nature during high school held her back. After all that time, she still finds him handsome and wonderfully charming. Is another chance with Tom in her near future? Wendy is no longer that shy teenager who once ran away; she is now an attractive, experienced woman with an arsenal full of alluring tricks at her disposal.But the closer she tries to get to Tom, the more someone wants Wendy dead. With complete happiness almost within her grasp, sinister webs are being spun all around her ... webs of deceit, webs that the town's residents find difficult to define ... webs that seem to creep from the darkness to cover not only the town but the surrounding countryside, as well. Most importantly, the webs seem to be specifically designed to keep Wendy away from the only man she ever truly loved.In this, his eleventh published novel, John M. Moody leads readers over a rollercoaster ride of emotions and deadly intrigue - with Wendy's life in the balance. Much the same as with Intersecting Destinies and Wherever the Wind Will Take Us, long-time devotees of John's romantic adventures (not to mention his latest fans) will surely be pleased with Land on the Verge of Darkness.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1518673120
• ISBN13: 9781518673122
• Release Date: October 2015
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 430 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.1" x 6.0"