{"title":"Books by Rick Acker","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780840711984","title":"What We Hide","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A heart-pounding tale of stolen artifacts and murder . . . the second-chance romance adds dimension to the well-plotted whodunit, which leaves more than a few secrets to be uncovered in the next installment. Readers will be on tenterhooks.\" --\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor Savannah and Hez, a crumbling university, stolen artifacts, deep family secrets, and deadly ambitions all stand in the way of a second chance at happiness.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSavannah Webster is trying to find her way forward. She and her husband, Hez, have been separated since tragedy tore them apart and he began numbing his grief and guilt with alcohol. She returned to Tupelo Grove University, which her family helped found over a century ago, to teach history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Hez turns up in her classroom asking for a second chance, she rejects the idea immediately. But twenty-four hours later she's under suspicion for murder, and since Hez is the best attorney she knows, she reluctantly asks him for help. They suspect the murder is tied to someone selling off the university's pre-Columbian artifacts, but the secrets go much deeper than they realize.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe only hope they've got is each other, and they're going to have to put their past behind them if they're going to stay alive long enough to uncover all that's hidden.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColleen Coble and Rick Acker's \u003cem\u003eWhat We Hide\u003c\/em\u003e is gripping suspense with closed-door, second-chance romance. They've \"forged a seamless partnership with a singular voice\" (Charles Martin), \"where secrets simmer and unexpected twists leave you guessing until the shocking finale\" (Kate Angelo).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooking for more from these authors? Don't miss their standalone novel\u003c\/em\u003e I Think I Was Murdered \u003cem\u003eor continue the Tupelo Grove series with\u003c\/em\u003e Where Secrets Lie \u003cem\u003e(available now) and\u003c\/em\u003e When Justice Comes \u003cem\u003e(available March 2026). All their novels include discussion questions that are perfect for book clubs.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44581705875634,"sku":"9780840711984","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780840711984_5ce32605-86ac-43e3-81b3-30b592988156.jpg?v=1786015931"},{"product_id":"9780840712578","title":"I Think I Was Murdered","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"It's a high-octane thriller with the grounding touches of Katrina's Norwegian heritage, the hygge of North Haven, and a very sweet romance between two likable, vulnerable people. Romantic suspense comfort food--just like waffles with cloudberry cream.\" --KIRKUS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis timely, high-concept novel delves into the impact of AI on a grieving widow who uses a chatbot to \"talk\" to her dead husband. What she never expects is the response when she asks it to tell her something she doesn't know: \u003cem\u003eI think I was murdered\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJust a year ago, Katrina Berg was at the pinnacle of her career. She was a rising star in the AI chatbot start-up everyone was talking about, married with an adoring husband, and had more money than she knew how to spend. Then her world combusted. Her husband, Jason, was killed in a fiery car crash. Her CEO was indicted, and, as the company's legal counsel, Katrina faces tough questions as the Feds take over and lock her out of her office. The final blow is the passing of her beloved grandmother.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer most prized possession is the beta prototype for a new, ultra-sophisticated chatbot loaded onto her phone. The contents of Jason's email, social media backups, pictures, and every bit of data she could find were loaded into the bot, and Katrina has \"talked\" to him every day for the past six months. She has been amazed at how well it works. Even the syntax and words the bot uses sound like Jason. Sometimes, she imagines he isn't really dead and is right there beside her. She knows it's slowing her grief recovery, but she can't stop pretending.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn a particularly bad day, she taps out: \u003cem\u003eTell me something I don't know\u003c\/em\u003e. The cursor blinks for several moments and seems frozen before the reply flashes quickly onto the screen: \u003cem\u003eI think I was murdered\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDistraught, Katrina returns to her cozy Norwegian-flavored hometown in the Northern California redwoods and enlists the help of Seb Wallace, local restaurateur and longtime acquaintance, to try to parse out the truth of what really happened. They must navigate the complicated paths of grief, family dynamics, and second chances, as well as the complex questions of how much control technology has. And staying alive long enough to do that is far more difficult than either of them dreamed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBestselling authors Coble and Acker deftly combine a high-concept plot with gripping intrigue and sweet romance. Reading one of their novels feels akin to watching a BBC mystery series: by the end of the first scene you can relax, knowing you're in the capable hands of a story that will have a complex puzzle, character-driven plot, and a satisfying reveal.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooking for more from these authors? Don't miss their Tupelo Grove series: Book #1\u003c\/em\u003e What We Hide, \u003cem\u003eBook #2\u003c\/em\u003e Where Secrets Lie, \u003cem\u003eand Book #3\u003c\/em\u003e When Justice Comes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294972096885,"sku":"9780840712578","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780840712578_035b15d7-0eaf-420a-b949-340d0c34f168.jpg?v=1786015933"},{"product_id":"9781400345748","title":"When Justice Comes","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"When you combine two brilliant storytellers such as Coble and Acker, the result is a beautiful, well-crafted legal thriller that keeps the reader utterly riveted.\" --Lynette Eason, bestselling author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Coble and Acker have forged a seamless partnership with a singular voice.\" --Charles Martin, \u003cem\u003eNYT\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUSA TODAY\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble and Rick Acker deliver the final book in their beloved Tupelo Grove series.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHez and Savannah Webster have survived storms that would bury others without a love as strong as theirs--but can they withstand the final battle in the deadly Legare-Willard feud that threatens to sweep away everything they've fought for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHezekiah \"Hez\" Webster and his fiancée, Savannah, stand on the brink of a new life, but their dreams are haunted by specters of the past. Just as they're getting ready to adopt her nephew, two other petitioners also file for custody--both of whom only want Simon for their own gains.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBetween the financial company that Hez outmaneuvered to save the university from ruin and the bad blood from the head of the Willard family, it's hard to say who wants them out of the way more. Hez and Savannah's quest for justice leads them through a labyrinth of family law, where loyalties are tested and trust is a dangerous luxury when every decision could be their last.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the clock ticking, Hez and Savannah must confront the ghosts of their past and their deepest fears to secure a future for Simon. But with every secret revealed, the stakes grow higher. Can they build the family they've always dreamed of, or will their enemies succeed in tearing them apart forever?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Tupelo Grove series reaches its breathtaking conclusion as an enemy's agenda for revenge runs darker than swamp water and justice remains as precarious as quicksand in this heart-pounding narrative that underscores the power of redemption and forgiveness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColleen Coble and Rick Acker's \u003cem\u003eWhen Justice Comes\u003c\/em\u003e is gripping suspense with closed-door, second-chance romance.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooking for more from these authors? Don't miss their standalone novel\u003c\/em\u003e I Think I Was Murdered\u003cem\u003e. 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Worse, Britt's real father is a disgraced Mossad assassin known in the intelligence underworld as Abaddon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore Britt can process the truth, violence strikes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFive-year-old Willow Hamilton--the president's granddaughter--is kidnapped, and Abaddon becomes the prime suspect. Determined to help rescue the child, Britt joins forces with FBI Special Agent Stein Nordahl, a man who has spent years hunting the assassin responsible for his own father's death.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the search intensifies, Britt and Stein uncover a web of secrets that reaches deep into the intelligence world. Forced on the run through the unforgiving Pacific Northwest wilderness, they face deadly ambushes, corrupt agents, and betrayals from people they thought they could trust.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut time is running out for Willow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo save the girl and stop Abaddon's catastrophic plans, Britt must confront the darkest question of all--whether she is defined by the blood in her veins or the choices she makes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause the world's most dangerous assassin has finally come looking for his daughter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd in a battle shaped by secrets, betrayal, and faith, Britt must decide what kind of legacy she will claim.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57682676089205,"sku":"9781400353552","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57503707922805,"sku":"9781400353545","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781400353552_a27329b6-d93e-4a3b-af93-8a7fea53caa1.jpg?v=1792511585"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-rick-acker.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}