The Witness

At sixteen, sheltered, obedient Elizabeth Fitch slipped her controlling mother's grip for one reckless night out and ended up witnessing a murder that made her the target of the Russian mob. Twelve years later she lives as Abigail Lowery, a brilliant, solitary security-systems designer on the edge of a small Ozarks town, armed, guarded and determined never to let anyone close. Her secrecy only makes her more intriguing to local police chief Brooks Gleason, who senses she needs protection and sets out, personally and professionally, to win her trust. But the dangerous men from her past are closing in, and Abigail must decide whether to risk the security she has built on a chance at love. Nora Roberts's 200th novel blends tense romantic suspense with a slow-thawing romance.