I am seeking representation for my 87,000-word women’s crime fiction novel, What the River Buried.

The story is told through two voices: a mother and her daughter. Mia, the daughter, wants to reclaim her Brazilian American identity by opening the only upscale Brazilian seafood restaurant on the Wilmington Waterfront. Her mother, Tanya, still feels the weight of a mistake from thirty years ago involving a scam with counterfeit wine bottles that ended with her friend Kim’s death. Years of police scrutiny have left both women anxious. When new evidence about Kim surfaces, they are both afraid. Mia grew up under suspicion, with her family drawn into the legal system even though there was never any proof. She worries that any connection to Kim could ruin her restaurant and her future, while Tanya fears it could destroy her daughter’s life and possibly send her to jail.

This novel looks at how we respond when someone we trust hurts us, and how those choices can shape or hurt our future. If you like the dark humor of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent, the family drama and betrayal in Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, or the suspense and twists of She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena, you might enjoy this book.

My story blends romantic suspense with a family saga, combining the tension of “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston with the multigenerational storytelling of “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson. It is a good fit for readers who enjoy suspense or murder mysteries with a strong female lead and a touch of romance.

The appetizer

Interested in a taste of my manuscript, “What the River Buried”? Request to download the first three chapters here

The main course

Interested in the whole manuscript, “What the River Buried” Request to download the whole manuscript here