Bonnie Tharp Books
"Loved FROM THE ASHES by Bonnie Tharp. It contained mystery, thrills, friendship and romance. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. Family can be more than relatives! I also liked learning a bit about fire recovery. You need to read this book!" - Karen C.
FROM THE SHADOWS: "Another incredible book by one of my favorite authors. I read this book in two evenings. I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what Bonnie writes next. If you haven't read any of Bonnie's books, you should buy them now." - Bety W.
FROM THE SHADOWS: "Just when you think you have things figured out, there's another twist! PI, firemen, police, insurance fraud. It has it all - with characters you really love and some you really hate!! Isn't that what a good story is all about? Thanks, Bonnie, for another great read." - Serena G.
YOUR EVERY MOVE: "This suspenseful novel kept me guessing until the end. I was hooked early on to the pace and great writing, so much that I spent several nights staying up way too late to read just one more chapter. Amanda, the young protagonist, grows and matures through the story and ultimately demonstrates her strength at the climax. While the ending was bittersweet, it left this reader satisfied and hopeful. Although the other books I have read by Bonnie Tharp are not in this genre, I was thrilled with this offering." - Carol M.
Fifteen years ago
He watched the house for hours until the kid left, and the lights went out inside. He waited another thirty minutes before sneaking up onto the tree-shadowed edge of the porch. The weak illumination of the yellow bug light by the front door saved him from being seen. The windows were open, with heavy-duty screens, but that wouldn’t stop him.
He cut the screen with a Swiss Army knife, making minimal sound. The cicadas had quieted, so he could hear the clock ticking on the mantel. He slipped his sneaker-clad foot into the room, testing the floor for squeaks. He eased his head and shoulders in next and pulled his leg behind him. The wind had laid, so the screen fell back in place.
He looked around the room and noted the crystal candle sticks on the fireplace mantel and the rot iron fireplace tools. He quietly crossed the living room rug and grabbed a candle stick and the fireplace poker. With a weapon in each hand, he stepped to the staircase. He knew the bedrooms were on the second floor.
Standing at the base of the stairs for five minutes was tedious,
but listening for movement upstairs was imperative. The husband and wife's quiet voices carried down the stairs.
“You’ve got to let her date, Paddie; she’s fifteen and able to take care of herself,” the wife said. “Most boys are intimidated by her height, anyway, don’t worry.”
He stepped up two stairs, the sound masked by the voices.
“I can’t help it. I trust her, but I don’t trust any sixteen-year- old boy. Their hormones choke off their brains,” the husband said.
Quickly covering the last five steps, the intruder stood at the
top, holding the handrail with his gloved hand, the candlestick tucked under his arm.
“You should know,” the wife said and laughed. The husband stayed silent. “Goodnight, Paddie; I’ll wake up when she comes home; I always do.”
When his foot reached the landing, he stopped again to see if they would finally go to sleep. Five minutes passed, then ten, and he began to get a cramp in his hand. Shaking the blood back into his fingers, he sneaked over to the partially open bedroom door. He could see the bottom half of the bed and four bare legs and feet. The ceiling fan stirred the air coming through the windows. He heard the cicadas and a car drive by.
Slipping into the opening, he crossed to the bed and swung the candle stick at the man’s head before he could wake. Blood sprayed on the pillow, and the woman whipped her legs to the floor. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she hissed, scanning her side of the bed for a weapon.