Bernie

Romantic suspense from Agatha award-winning author G.M. Malliet

Accused. Betrayed. Hunted. But not broken.

When twenty-seven-year-old Bernadette "Bernie" O'Hara is blindsided by false accusations of embezzlement at the prestigious firm where she works, her life shatters in a single morning. Forced to flee Washington, D.C., she finds unexpected sanctuary in her late grandmother's rustic cabin deep in the Virginia woods. With no electricity, no neighbors, and no one she can trust, Bernie's days are filled with solitude and survival-and the slow, quiet rediscovery of her faith. But peace doesn't last. When a massive, comically droopy bloodhound named Bo crashes through the woods and plants his paws on her shoulders, Bernie knows her refuge has been discovered. Behind Bo stands Gabe Shelton-a brooding private investigator with sharp instincts and quiet strength-sent to track her down. But Gabe's presence raises more questions than answers, and his growing suspicions about her so-called crime mirror her own growing doubts about the man who accused her. Gabe never expected the woman at the center of his newest case to be anything like Bernie. Not guilty, not hardened, not hiding... but wounded. And something deep in his gut tells him the real villain may not be the woman he was paid to find, but the powerful man desperate to silence her. Tension rises as snow blankets the Virginia wilderness and Bernie's past threatens to catch up with her. Together, Bernie and Gabe must navigate not only the tangled truth behind the accusations but also their own conflicted hearts. Will Gabe turn Bernie in-or help her clear her name? Set against a backdrop of winter woods, quiet faith, and slow-burning trust, Bernie is a clean, emotionally rich romantic suspense that explores betrayal, courage, and the healing power of love.