Things You Won't Say: A Novel

$8.78
by Sarah Pekkanen

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In this timely and provocative novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen takes us inside a family in crisis and a marriage on the brink after a tragic shooting. How far would you go to save your family? Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting—but this time Mike has pulled the trigger. But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie’s world. It’s about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike’s flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie’s younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes. In her characteristic exploration of true-to-life relationships, Sarah Pekkanen has written a complex, compelling, and openhearted novel—her best yet. Praise for THINGS YOU WON'T SAY: "Gripping reading" ― People "A standout among standouts." ― Glamour on Things You Won't Say "A gripping story of racial profiling, PTSD, and the threads that hold people together. You'll forget it's fiction." ― Marie Claire on THINGS YOU WON'T SAY "Fantastic and realistic." ― Examiner.com "Pekkanen tackles a timely topic." ― Booklist “Pekkanen reliably builds strong, interesting characters.” ― Kirkus Reviews Praise for Sarah Pekkanen: "Sarah Pekkanen writes with wit and warmth and a deep understanding of the way women—mothers, daughters, sisters, friends—make a place for themselves in the world." -- Jennifer Weiner ― #1 New York Times bestselling author “Ultimately, Pekkanen shows that relationships of any kind take work, expression of love, and the willingness to take risks in order to save them.” ― New York Journal of Books "Smart and soulful, Pekkanen explores the place where self and sisterhood intersect." ― Redbook "Pekkanen's wry voice and engaging characters keeps things fresh." ― People “Pekkanen offers a conversational writing style and a knack for making readers care about her characters." ― Washington Post "Sarah Pekkanen is one of my favorite authors of women's fiction." -- Lisa Scottoline ― New York Times bestselling author “Internationally best-selling Pekkanen writes novels that offer thoughtful examinations of how the past shapes adult relationships and the differences between men and women." ― Booklist Sarah Pekkanen is the bestselling author of The Ever After , The Opposite of Me , Skipping a Beat , These Girls , The Best of Us , Catching Air , Things You Won’t Say , and The Perfect Neighbors . Her work has been published in People , The Washington Post , and USA TODAY , among other publications. She lives with her family in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Things You Won't Say Chapter One AS SHE APPROACHED THE traffic light, Jamie Anderson prayed it would stay green. She pushed harder on the gas, edging the speedometer’s needle as high as she dared—which wasn’t very high, because she was a cop’s wife and police headquarters was a dozen yards away. Just when she thought she’d make it through the intersection, a slow-moving Toyota cut in front of her, forcing her to hit her brakes. The stoplight blinked yellow, then red. Jamie held her breath. Don’t look, she warned herself, even as she felt her gaze being yanked to the right, toward the section of sidewalk that had recently been cordoned off with crime-scene tape. The sidewalk had been scrubbed clean, but she wondered if the dark stains still showed up close. Her three-year-old daughter’s high voice piped up from the backseat: “Pizza?” “What? No, not today,” Jamie said. She gripped the steering wheel tightly. Why was the light taking so long? “Pizza, please!” Eloise said, her little-girl lisp turning the l into a w. “Maybe later,” Jamie said. Her husband, Mike, would be returning to this exact spot tomorrow, wearing his dark blue uniform and Magnum boots and heavy patrolman’s belt. For the first time, though, his silver badge would be crossed by a black ribbon. A blaring horn jolted Jamie and she pressed the gas pedal again. Being here was wrenching for her. How much worse would it be for Mike to return to the spot where his longtime partner, Ritchie, and a young rookie officer had been shot two weeks ago by a lunatic with a grudge against cops? But Mike would never quit. Early in their relationship, when they’d been trading stories about growing up, he’d told her that during recess at his elementary school, the boys had split up into two

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