Stillwater Deep — Steena Holmes

Hidden truths are unspoken lies. Or what others might call secrets. Everyone knows nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets. And yet, that's exactly what Charlotte Stone is doing. Or trying to. It doesn't help that the secret she's trying to keep is slowly destroying everyone and everything around her. Her marriage, her town, her friendships...even herself. Months ago, her tiny town of Stillwater Bay was rocked with a tragedy. One of their own had gone into a local elementary school with a gun and too many lives were lost. The secret Charlotte is keeping is this: she knows why Gabriel Berry went into the school with a gun and it's all her husband's fault. While Charlotte is trying to remain strong, her husband is slowly falling apart. The secret Jordan's keeping is too much to carry and he needs to confess - but Charlotte won't let him. If he tells the truth it would destroy their town and all those they consider friends. Control-focused Charlotte Stone, mayor of Stillwater Bay, unravels little by little as the secrets become too much for her to carry. Is the truth worth the cost? Charlotte isn't so sure.