"I absolutely devoured this book! " ~Cynthia Williams

Laurel Falls, N.C. 1989: I couldn’t believe I was in trouble again. I’d finally got what I’d always wanted ... then lost it.

The trouble started when this family—a mother and two almost-grown kids—came to my school, the Hickson School of American Studies in Boone, N.C., to ask for shelter. The mother said she was dying, and they had nowhere else to go after they’d been evicted ‘cause she was too sick to work. What her son earned just wasn’t enough to live on.

But that was all lies. They were just a bunch of mean-spirited, sorry con artists who stole our money and good intentions. And when they fleeced the school, they made it look like I did it! Next thing I knew, the director threw me outta school.

I snuck home to get help from my neighbor and friend, Della Kincaid. She used to be a crime reporter in Washington, D.C., and I knew she’d know what to do. She did—only she told me I had to do it alone.

Trying to find them again took everything I had—and then some. Along the way, I plowed through those mountains, sometimes meeting fellow victims who were yearning for justice too, but mostly tangling with bad men trying to stop me—permanently! I faced more twists and turns than the road to Damascus, Virginia.

There was no telling who I could trust on that long road to justice, but I ask you: at some point, don’t you have to believe in something or someone? ~Abit Bradshaw

You'll enjoy this suspenseful mystery because who can resist rooting for the underdog?

If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series.

Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations.

The Roads to Damascus is the second novel in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel and can be read as a standalone novel.

Interview with the Author

Q: Why did you write a second book? What's important about it?

A:To be honest, I didn't know if anyone would enjoy my stories gleaned from my life on a farm in the mountains of N.C.I found the real-life characters living there amazing, but would others? Turns out they did and do. After I kept getting mail and reviews about how much readers loved Abit, Della, Nigel, and the rest of the gang, I decided to write book two. Besides, I missed them and their abiding friendship. It's always great fun spending time with Abit and Della again.

"After 'A Life for a Life' I was eagerly anticipating this sequel, and I was not disappointed. The suspense and plot twists were as riveting as before. The characters and relationships made the book so compelling." ~M. Glazner

Q: What's next for Abit and Della? What can readers expect?

A: In this book, I take Abit on a hero's journey, something he must do alone. Of course, Della helps him, especially at the beginning and end of the story. On his long road trip, he searches for the mother and two children who ripped him off, fleeced his beloved school, and laid the blame on him. He also experiences his first love--and heartache. Friendship, family secrets & lies, a touch of romance--they're all woven together into a suspenseful crime mystery.

"Though there's a crime plot that drives 'The Roads to Damascus' forward, at its heart it's very much a character piece & a coming of age tale." ~LizTiptoft

Q: In what order were these books written?

A:

A Life for a Life

The Roads to Damascus

Welcome the Little Children

Murder Ballad Blues

Deep in the Forest

Up the Creek

Unwrapped

After Dusk

Waiting for You (free prequel)