Read by Tavia Gilbert

One beautiful summer afternoon, Jody Linder, a young English teacher, is unnerved to see her three uncles parking their pickups in front of her parents' house-or what she calls her parents' house, even though they have been gone almost all of Jody's life. The three bring shocking news: the man convicted of murdering Jody's father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas. It has been twenty-six years since that stormy night when Jody's father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared, presumed dead. Neither the protective embrace of Jody's uncles nor the safe haven of her grandparents' ranch could erase the pain caused by Billy Crosby that night. Now Billy has been granted a new trial, thanks in large part to the efforts of his son, Collin, a lawyer who has spent most of his life trying to prove his father's innocence. Jody knows that sooner or later she'll come face-to-face with the man who she believes destroyed her family. But what she doesn't expect are the heated exchanges with Collin. Having grown up practically side by side in this very small town, Jody and Collin have a long history of carefully avoiding each other's eyes. Now Jody discovers that underneath their antagonism is a shared sense of loss that no one else could possibly understand. As she revisits old wounds, startling revelations compel her to uncover the dangerous truth about her family's tragic past. Engrossing, lyrical, and suspenseful, The Scent of Rain and Lightning captures the essence of small-town America-its heartfelt intimacy and its darkest secrets-where through struggle and hardship people still dare to hope for a better future. For Jody Linder, maybe even love. "A terrific book: charming, well-written and insightful. I enjoyed every minute of it." "Highlighting the ripple effect of people's actions, The Scent of Rain and Lightning is an in-depth tale of unraveling lies and deceit in perfect Pickard fashion." "With exquisite sensitivity, Edgar-finalist Pickard probes a smoldering cold case." "Pickard's superb storytelling transports the reader into the characters' world, making all too real their dilemmas, their choices, and their willingness to believe the unlikely. Highly recommended." "A decades-old mystery is solved and a woman's haunting questions put to rest in Pickard's latest thriller…Pickard shows her storytelling skills, weaving elements of deception, revenge, and romance into a novel with full-bodied characters who deal with tragedy as best they can; Annabelle Linder's encounter with Crosby's wife is particularly moving. From an award-winning author, this is engrossing fiction with an eminently satisfying denouement." "Tavia Gilbert demonstrates remarkable range in her narration of Pickard's spine-tingling thriller…Gilbert's performance as convicted murderer-and town pariah-Billy Crosby crackles with pentup rage…[this production] demonstrates Gilbert's remarkable ability to heighten the suspense through vocal nuances and pacing. Gilbert also delivers an especially winning turn in her portrayal of Jody as a little girl too young to understand the sordid events around her. An edge-of-your seat listen." "It might have been tempting to make all the characters sound alike (since all of the action takes place in rural Rose, Kansas), but Gilbert voices the richly drawn characters in distinct fashion…Rose, Kansas, simmers with secrets, and as the plot unfolds, listeners gradually learn the truth and the fatal consequences in this memorable story."

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