Astray in Couper

When the economic downturn ends Matty Cruz’s corporate career, she impulsively moves to Couper, Washington, a tree-filled city nestled on the banks of the Columbia River. Unbeknownst to her, the charming town has one of the highest violent-crime rates in the Pacific Northwest.

A depressed and broke Matty entertains herself by reading news stories of the mayhem that occurred the night before in her neighborhood, until one of those stories ends up on her doorstep in the form of a soot-covered dog. Matty soon realizes that the poor creature must have belonged to the recently deceased Agnes Whitshaw, an impoverished, old woman who lived nearby and died in a house fire.

Matty reluctantly abandons her reclusive ways as she learns to take care of her furry houseguest, while at the same time she tries to find “Poochy” a forever home. Along the way, she interacts with the colorful Couperites who give her advice on dog ownership and bits of information concerning Agnes that make Matty wonder whether the fire that killed the fierce, old woman was set on purpose.

Matty pieces together the truth, but not before she attracts the attention of the murderers, and they come after her and the terrier. Surrounded by people quite different than those in her formerly middle-class existence, Matty must find a way to save herself—and Poochy—from Couper’s dark side.

Alternate Cover Edition --ASIN: B00KP4GXZ2