The Almost Sisters

Graphic novelist Leia Birch Briggs is single, pregnant with a biracial baby, and unsure of her baby’s father’s name. All she knows is he was dressed like Batman and her last FanCon included a night she will never forget. Meanwhile, her stepsister’s marriage is unraveling, the deadline for her next comic book is quickly approaching despite her massive case of writer’s block, and her grandmother has a form of dementia she’s been keeping hidden for years. When Leia arrives at her grandmother’s home in Alabama to help get her affairs in order, she realizes the illness isn’t the only secret being kept. There’s a trunk of bones in the attic, and Grandma Birchie doesn’t want anyone to know whose they are. Jackson has packed in all the drama needed for a fast-paced summer read, but this isn’t your average beach book. Dark secrets and racism plague Grandma Birchie’s seemingly charming southern town, and Leia will soon find that real-life villains aren’t as easy to identify as the ones in her comic books. Agent: Caryn Karmatz Rudy, Defiore & Company (July)