Swallowed by a Secret

2020 Reader's Favorite Gold Medal for Children's Books - Mystery
2020 Moonbeam Children's Book Silver Award for Pre-teen - Mature Issues
 
One dead father. One lying mother. One giant secret.

12-year-old Rocky's father dies suddenly, and he learns the "his heart stopped" story is bogus. Immediately after the funeral, his mother sticks the For-Sale sign in the lawn and whisks them out of town as if living there has become too dangerous. As his trust in his one remaining parent unravels, Rocky is determined to crack the secret about how his father really died.

To uncover the truth, Rocky eavesdrops on his mother, snoops through her things, and then takes the advice of his dead father and returns to his old town to learn what happened.

Will the truth force Rocky to rethink who was the father he thought he knew? Sometimes it may be better to let a secret stay hidden.

Born in Boston with the accent to prove it, Risa lived within ten miles of the city for decades until a recent move to the neighboring Ocean State.
 
For many years, Risa worked in a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting active participation in our democracy, with a special focus on voting and elections.
 
Risa's deep dive into creative writing started with finding three pennies in a neat stack in a completely empty apartment that belonged to her mother. It's a long story.
 
When not writing, Risa is reading, exercising or doing therapeutic ironing (yes, there is such a thing.)