Secrets of Southern Girls is an evocative Southern Gothic mystery, blending suspense, memory, and redemption into a spellbinding story―perfect for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and atmospheric women's fiction. Some secrets haunt you for a lifetime. Some are your only chance at forgiveness. Julie Portland thought leaving Lawrence Mill, Mississippi meant an escape. An escape from the guilt over her best friend Reba's death, and from the secret she's carried ever since. Now a struggling single mother in New York, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair. When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to return home and recover Reba's long-lost diary, painful memories resurface. The diary threatens to unravel the fragile peace Julie has built, exposing the truth behind a tragedy that changed them all. With immersive, lyrical writing and a deep sense of place, Secrets of Southern Girls takes readers on a journey through family secrets and the courage it takes to seek forgiveness. Praise for Secrets of Southern Girls : "Harrigan's novel, part mystery and part coming-of-age, explores the process of healing from tragedies and misunderstandings."― Publishers Weekly "Harrigan is a great prose stylist who knows how to sustain the tension and tone required of a Southern Gothic novel."― ForeWord "Harrigan is a great prose stylist who knows how to sustain the tension and tone required of a Southern Gothic novel. Her writing is evocative and atmospheric, whether the action takes place under the bright lights of Manhattan or in Mississippi's weedy heat. " ― ForeWord "Harrigan’s novel, part mystery and part coming-of-age, explores the process of healing from tragedies and misunderstandings." ― Publishers Weekly "A deftly crafted and engaging novel from beginning to end, " Secrets of Southern Girls " showcases author Haley Harrigan's impressive flair for storytelling." ― The Midwest Book Review "Heartachingly beautiful, SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS is a compelling tale about lost love and childhood regrets. This is masterfully written, shifting from past to present as the story unfolds to expose the haunting truth of one girl’s desire to be loved and the dangerous secret she possesses. Harrigan’s debut is a captivating read that won’t let you go until the very last page." ― Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal bestselling author "A twisting, sensuous novel about first love and innocence lost. As mesmerizing as the Mississippi heat, Haley Harrigan's debut weaves two tales together in time as Julie Portland seeks the truth about her childhood friend's mysterious death--a truth Julie has hidden even from herself. Harrigan delves into Greg Iles territory, navigating racial tensions and the secret (and not-so-secret) history of the deep south. In the end, like the "oil streak" river that flows through this story, Secrets of Southern Girls reveals a stain we all would be better off examining." ― Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author of Cover of Snow, Ruin Falls, and As Night Falls "Haley Harrigan’s Secrets of Southern Girls is filled with evocative, poetic imagery, relatable characters, and ingenious plot twists that kept me turning pages long into the night! A beautiful, engaging debut by a delightful and talented new author." ― Susan Crawford, author of The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow Haley Harrigan lives in Athens, Georgia with her husband and their adorably quirky Yorkshire Terrier. She holds a degree in Creative Writing and Public Relations from the University of Georgia,. This is her debut.