Mirror in the Forest — B. Groves

This book is not a stand-alone novel and is the first book of a 3 part series. Graphic sex, violence, and some foul language contained in this novel. There is a dark secret that lurks in the shadows of the small town of Leon's Crossing, Washington. The town of Leon's Crossing is nestled in between jagged mountains, and thick forests outside of Seattle, Washington. Jessica Winters is out enjoying her daily nature walk when she stumbles upon that dark secret. Jessica is a shy, socially awkward 17-year-old. Bullied all her life, and feeling tremendous pressure from her parents, she stumbles upon a mysterious mirror deep in the forest. Thinking nothing of it, she admires its stunning detail until it swirls and morphs into a beautiful spirit before her eyes. At first, she runs away in terror, but later finds she is drawn to the mirror. The figure appears in front of her. He tells her he's her guardian angel, and he appeared to help her realizes her hopes and dreams. Those hopes and dreams come at a price… As Jessica falls further into The Spirit of the Mirror's clutches, she finds it more difficult to resist his temptations. The Sheriff of Leon's Crossing, Mark McKenzie, has a promising future in law enforcement. Despite his young age, he is well liked, and well respected by the residents of the small mountain town. Mark investigates when unexplained events happen while learning of the town's dark past. As Jessica and Mark's lives intertwine, Mark soon becomes suspicious that all the strange occurrences are pointing right back to Jessica. Will Jessica's involvement with the mysterious mirror drive a wedge between them, or even worse, destroy both of their lives? If you are looking for a pulse-pounding, page-turning, exciting first book in the trilogy then this book is for you.