Bones to the Cedars, a novel
Manuscript Status: On submission to literary agents
Lee Tanner thinks her brother’s planting log is a study on trees, while younger sister Kellen is sure it’s a catalogue of his victims. Only Ash knows the truth, but her secrets have followed her to the grave. Or have they…
Bones to the Cedars, set amidst the dark beauty of a Pacific Northwest forest and the wild world of rodeo, exposes the vulnerability of girls on the cusp of womanhood. Readers see in novelist Suzan Ahrens’ characters the underbelly of wealth and privilege. This haunting mystery rings true.
—Julie Muhlstein, columnist, the Everett Herald (retired)
Eighteen-year-old Ash could not have known her murder would be the catalyst for finding her place in this world. As she moves from past to present day, from mortal to something other, she unravels this story of deception and misunderstanding, of friendships that transcend death, and of the intrinsic connection we all have to the natural world around us.
Comparable titles:
The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel (socio-economic disparity, sexual predation/grooming, and the disappearance of girls)
Long Time Gone by Hennah Martian (ranch/Western setting, dual timelines, and buried secrets)
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan (atmospheric magical realism)
Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic (complex sexual themes, competitive riding as backdrop)
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (magical realism ghost story)
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (set in the Pacific Northwest, the past resurfacing)
The Secrets She Keeps by Deb Caletti (dual-timeline mystery, sisters, dude ranch setting)
True Colors by Kristin Hannah (set in the Pacific Northwest, ranching family saga)