THE RISING

After an assault that landed her in a hospital as a Jane Doe two years earlier, Olivia Callahan has regained her speech, movement, and much of the memory she lost due to a traumatic brain injury. The media hype about the incident has faded away, and Olivia is ready to rebuild her life, but her therapist insists she must continue to look back in order to move forward. The only person that can help her recall specifics is her abusive ex-husband, Monty, who is in prison for murder. The thought of talking to Monty makes her skin crawl, but for her daughters’ sake and her own sanity, she must learn more about who she was before the attack.

Just as the pieces of her life start falling into place, she stumbles across the still-warm body of an old friend who has been gruesomely murdered. Her dream of pursuing a peaceful existence is shattered when she learns the killer left evidence behind to implicate her in the murder. The only person that would want to sabotage her is Monty—but he’s in prison! Something sinister is going on, and Olivia is desperate to figure it out before another senseless murder is committed.

. . .

“In The Rising, Peresta’s stunning writing and multi-layered depictions take readers into the heart of a woman struggling to reclaim her memories and her life. Hooked from the first page, I was right there with her, rooting for her every terrifying, twisty step of the way!”   

~ Susan Crawford, bestselling author

of The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow

“Kerry Peresta's second thriller is as riveting and well-plotted as the first. Among the many pleasures in this taut and fast-paced novel is the protagonist herself. Because the reader gets to see Olivia Callahan from multiple perspectives, this intriguing and potentially unreliable character has a depth and complexity that transcends the genre. The multi-layered narrative spans several time periods in Olivia's fractured life, and all are rendered in clear and vivid prose. An evocative, moving, and satisfying read.”   

~ Lori Robbins, author of On Pointe Mystery Series, Silver Falchion Winner for Lesson Plan for Murder

“Peresta’s skill ensures that the central drama of the novel swells around the reader, leaving them to experience the protagonist as her investigator, witness, gossip, judge, friend and foe. An immersive experience. A carefully composed book, with a painter’s eye for details that vivify.”   

~ Coy Hall, author of Grimoire of the Four Imposters

and The Hangman Feeds the Jackal

“Olivia Callahan's search to find her lost memories, while sorting through a web of deceit and lies, grabbed me by my heart on page one and never let go.”  

~ Annette Dashofy, USA Today bestselling author

of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries

“The Rising delivers a thrill ride with plenty of surprises and a twisty plot that keeps the reader on edge in the best possible way. Olivia Callahan’s traumatic brain injury has left her with a new, more outspoken personality and a patchy memory. All she wants now is a job and a quiet life for herself and her two girls. But the quiet life will have to wait—her house is under surveillance by parties unknown, and then the trouble really starts. When Olivia finds her old friend dead, she has to wonder whether her ex is out for revenge and if she’s next on his hit list. In this second book in her series, author Kerry Peresta has crafted another compulsively readable tale of suspense with relatable, complex characters.”   

~ Mally Becker, uthor, The Revolutionary War Mystery Series