Cottonmouths — Kelly J. Ford

For readers of Daniel Woodrell and Sarah Waters, a gripping tale of passion and corruption in the American South.

College was supposed to be a way out for Emily Skinner. But with zero job prospects and more student debt than she can handle, she's left with no choice but to return to her tiny hometown in the Ozarks -- a place run on gossip and good Christian values.

She's not alone. Emily's former best friend -- and childhood crush -- Jody Monroe is back with a baby. Emily can't resist the opportunity to reconnect, despite the uncomfortable way things ended between them, so when Jody offers Emily work as a live-in babysitter, Emily quickly agrees. It's only when she stumbles upon the meth lab on Jody's land that she realizes where her new income is coming from.

Still, for Emily, Jody is the real drug. And as they grow closer, Emily glimpses a future for the first time since coming home. She dismisses her worries; the meth is a means to an end. But there are whispers in town -- about the money, the secrets, the two girls living together alone in the woods.

It's only when Emily's role in Jody's dirty business turns deadly that she must face the reality -- and danger -- of the situation. As the lies pile up, Emily learns just how far Jody is willing to go to save her own skin -- and how much Emily herself has risked for the love of someone who may never truly love her back.

Unflinching and atmospheric, Cottonmouths is an engrossing narrative examining the ways in which the past pulls us back despite our best efforts to leave it behind.