The Tiger in the House

When five-year-old Hayley is found covered in blood by the side of the road, the search party begins to discover who she is, what she witnessed, and where she belongs. Sheehan (The Center of the World) has crafted a fast-moving domestic drama that sheds light on schizophrenia, the foster care system, and the scourge of heroin trafficking and addiction. Delia Lamont, a 32-year-old caseworker for foster children, is ready to leave her job and open a seaside bakery with her younger sister, Juniper. All she wants is to bake bread and lead a less stressful life, but she is asked to take on this one last case and is determined to end her career on a positive note. With the help of her longtime boss, Ira, and Det. Lt. Michael Moretti, a relative newcomer to the South Portland Police Department, she will go to dangerous lengths to figure out the secret of Hayley’s past. When the old boyfriend who saved her life when they were teenagers walks back into Delia’s world eager to pick up where they left off, she is also forced to revisit the painful past that she has tried so hard to overcome. Sheehan’s compelling page-turner will grab readers in the first chapter and not let go until the unexpected conclusion. (Feb.)