Walking Rain

This vibrant debut novel proves it's possible to write good suspense without gimmicks or excessive gore. Amelia Rawlings returns to her grandfather's New Mexico ranch after years of hiding from the Wolfen, a neo-Nazi hate group that murdered her family 13 years ago. Despite death threats and chalked swastikas on her front door, she's determined to rebuild the ranch and protect the endangered native grasses her grandfather had cherished--in short, make a home for herself. As the wisdom of her decision is challenged, Amelia finds strength in newfound friendships with architect Frank Burkhalter and his dog and an osteopath, Caroline Garrity, and her son. Amelia learns that trust, like hospitality, is like latent seed, ""still resting, dormant, under all the years of separateness and silence, patiently waiting for the right conditions of temperature and soil to put out shoots."" (Aug.)