THE HOLLOW INSIDE

A grifter uses her 16-year-old daughter to exact revenge on the man who betrayed her.

Technically Phoenix isn’t Nina’s real daughter, but Phoenix isn’t her real name either. Her mother bailed when she was 2, and Nina has taken care of her since they fled Phoenix’s father’s house when she was 9. The two survive by separating unsuspecting folks from their belongings, but Phoenix is tired of living on the fringe, and Nina promises that they’ll finally have the perfect life they deserve. All she has to do is dig up dirt about Jasper Hollow, Ohio’s resident celebrity, Ellis Bowman, whose inspirational books put the town on the map. When the Bowmans catch Phoenix spying, she makes up a sob story on the fly. It works, and she’s invited to stay with the gregarious Ellis; his kind wife, Jill; and their teenage twins, Melody and Neil, until she gets back on her feet. As Phoenix gets to know the family and explores her undeniable chemistry with Melody, she wonders if Ellis is really the monster that Nina says he is and realizes that the price of revenge may be too high. The author evocatively captures the feel of small-town life, and Phoenix, whose longing for a family is palpable, inspires sympathy, as does Nina, whose own story is interspersed throughout. Much of the suspense comes from the dread over how Phoenix’s charade will end. Main characters are cued as White.

A page-turning debut.