Sleeping in Eden

Two seemingly unrelated lives converge in this well-crafted literary mystery. In the sleepy town of Blackhawk, Iowa, a woman’s remains are discovered in a dilapidated barn. Acting coroner Lucas Hudson is convinced they belong to Angela Sparks, a teenage runaway who, eight years earlier, had been close to his wife. Hoping to bring his fragile wife closure—and fix his crumbling marriage—Lucas determines to discover the identity of the macabre remains. In an alternating narrative, teenager Meg Painter is torn between a rebel and the consummate good guy. When she decides to follow her heart and runs off with one of the two, she unknowingly sets her life on a dangerous course. While the connection between Lucas and Meg becomes apparent early on, the how and why of it continue to drive the plot until the heartbreaking truth is revealed. Baart (Far from Here) expertly unravels the backstory of her intriguing characters, capturing the nuances of both life-tested relationships and the intense passion of first love. Ripe with complex emotion and vivid prose, this story sticks around long after the last page is turned. Agent: Danielle Egan-Miller, Brown & Miller Literary Associates. (May)