The Guilty Ones
Perfect mothers. Perfect daughters. Perfect lies.
After her husband’s death, Dahlia Kincaid and her 14-year-old daughter Mia move to the exclusive lakefront community of Blackthorn Shores, Michigan, hoping for a fresh start.
It feels like a miracle. Lakefront views. Immaculate homes. And a coveted spot in the elite circle of neighborhood mothers. Even Mia is welcomed by the popular girls. For the first time, Dahlia dares to believe they’ve finally found belonging.
Then one of the girls is found dead after a neighborhood slumber party.
The police suspect murder. All eyes turn to Mia. Blood stains her clothes, fresh scratches mark her arms, and her story keeps changing. Every lie Mia tells makes Dahlia wonder what else her daughter is hiding.
As rumors swirl and suspicion mounts, the mothers who once embraced Dahlia turn wary and watchful. Mia withdraws, shutting Dahlia out. Desperate to protect her, Dahlia begins her own hunt for the truth, digging into the secrets buried beneath the community’s polished façade. But every answer she uncovers brings her closer to losing both her daughter and the life she’s fought to build here.
One thing is certain: someone in Blackthorn Shores is a killer. But as Dahlia closes in on the truth, her worst fear isn't that the killer will escape—it's that she already knows who it is.
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Kyla Stone
I spend my days writing apocalyptic and dystopian fiction novels. Because what's more fun than imagining the end of the world from the comfort of your couch?
I love writing stories exploring how ordinary people cope with extraordinary circumstances, especially situations where the normal comforts, conveniences, and rules are stripped away.
My favorite stories to read and write deal with characters struggling with inner demons who learn to face and overcome their fears, launching their transformation into the strong, brave warrior they were meant to become.
Some of my favorite books include The Road, The Passage, Hunger Games, and Ready Player One. My favorite movies are The Lord of the Rings and Gladiator. Give me a good story in any form, and I'm happy.
Oh, and add in a cool fall evening in front of a crackling fire, a book in one hand and a hot mocha latte in the other (or dark chocolate!): that's my heaven.
When I'm not writing, you can find me practicing at the range with my Springfield XDS or shopping for cool new gear for my bugout bag. You may find me hiking to a waterfall in the Smokies, traveling to far-flung locations, or jumping out of a plane (parachute included).

