The Secret Hour: A Novel

From the acclaimed author of The Perfect Summer and other New York Times bestsellers comes the gripping story of a man fighting for his family, a woman searching for her sister—and the promise of a new life where both least expect it.

Beneath his controlled demeanor, attorney John O’Rourke is a man in turmoil. Since the death of his wife, he has been juggling the rigors of a controversial capital murder case and the demands of raising two children. As eleven-year-old Maggie and fourteen-year-old Teddy long for the past, they must also contend with the hostility that swirls around them since their father took on the defense of a despised killer—including a brick through their window one autumn morning.

But a quieter event also takes place that day. A woman arrives on the O’Rourke doorstep to find a house in chaos but brimming with love—and, she hopes, answers. Six months ago Kate Harris’s younger sister fled from home following a devastating confrontation. After mailing a single postcard from the New England shore, Willa Harris vanished. With only a postmark to go on, Kate comes to the seaside—and discovers the one man who may be able to help her. . . .

Luanne Rice is the author of twenty-one novels, including Sandcastles, Summer of Roses, Summer’s Child, Silver Bells, Beach Girls, and Dance With Me. She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut.