Chasing Darkness

A tough special agent with the Department of Justice, and a dedicated
single mother to her orphaned nephews, Sam Chase in unbreakable. Until
two women, both from the shadows of Sam's past, are discovered strangled.
For Sam, the most unnerving detail is the eucalyptus branch tucked
behind the victims' ears--the signature of a notorious serial murderer
already convicted and executed for his crimes.
To detective Nick Thomas, the only link to the copycat killings is
Sam herself. And when she becomes the target of threats--each one
more menacing than the last--his feelings for her just might jeopardize
the case. But to understand the killer's twisted motive is to explore
Sam's past--and a crime she's spent a lifetime trying to bury....
"Girard portrays the effects of child abuse with clarity and
honesty... [she] maintains the novel's swift pacing and high tension...
a compelling thriller and a skillful treatment of a difficult topic."
-Publishers Weekly
Read an excerpt from Chasing
Darkness.