Harding Proper

Charlotte Evers enters a used bookstore in Harding, Idaho, and assigns a threat-level to the old clerk behind the counter-ninety percent harmless, ten percent a threat. Charlotte needs to unload a small fortune in antique books for quick cash, and she’s prepared a lie in order to keep her secrets. The town is Charlotte’s final stop before she can escape her troubled past, but the encounter escalates into a high-speed chase. With the police involved, Charlotte needs to quickly leave Harding behind, but that requires forming risky alliances. Soon, three Harding residents the bookstore clerk, the police chief, and a local teen are involved. They’re determined to discover Charlotte’s real identity and her connection to a missing persons case. The sooner Harding returns to normal, the sooner they can go back to avoiding each other. Trouble is, in a small town where mistrust is the norm, Charlotte isn’t the only one with secrets.

Harding Proper is the recipent of the 2022 Gold Quill Award from the League of Utah Writers.