Alicia Yu Series Series by Helena Smrcek

Pacifist Mennonite social worker Nora Martin is on the verge of opening a residential facility for first-time offenders. After years of planning, she’ll finally be able to rescue young men from the violence of prison…or what has been their only other option, the violence of the military. But then a stranger in camouflage and combat boots marches through her front door and claims to own her house. And he’s not interested in letting Nora change it... morePacifist Mennonite social worker Nora Martin is on the verge of opening a residential facility for first-time offenders. After years of planning, she’ll finally be able to rescue young men from the violence of prison…or what has been their only other option, the violence of the military. But then a stranger in camouflage and combat boots marches through her front door and claims to own her house. And he’s not interested in letting Nora change it. Who is Petty Officer Jacob Schwartz, and why does no one in the close-knit town of French Lick, Indiana want to acknowledge that he exists? What are they hiding? What had seemed like a safe community is now full of secrets and old heartaches, and Nora is caught in the dangerous middle. Her only ally is her best friend, FBI agent Alicia Yu (who readers first met in Glitter and Sorrow), but even Alicia can’t protect her from the way Nora’s heart races every time Jacob’s in the room. Can she trust a man in uniform? Nora and Jacob’s choices have taken them down different paths, but God may still show them a safe way back. less

Harry Regal is the most eligible bachelor in Fort Lauderdale. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a successful family real estate business, and enough money to do whatever he wants. But what the playboy doesn’t realize is that his lifestyle is built on an illusion, and when it all comes crashing down, he finds himself on the street with less than nothing... moreHarry Regal is the most eligible bachelor in Fort Lauderdale. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a successful family real estate business, and enough money to do whatever he wants. But what the playboy doesn’t realize is that his lifestyle is built on an illusion, and when it all comes crashing down, he finds himself on the street with less than nothing. Elizabeth Herrgott’s downtown shelter is making a real difference in the lives of homeless men and women—or it was until the powerful real estate company Regal, Inc. swept in and bought the property out from under her. Now Elizabeth might lose everything she cares about. Her only chance is to convince the brash, arrogant heir to the Regal empire to let the shelter stay…but Harry Regal has disappeared. As their “real” worlds crumble around them, Elizabeth and Harry each go online to share their feelings with an anonymous friend—someone who seems to understand them better than anyone in their real lives. less

Book 3 in the Alicia Yu, FBI series. Book 1, Burning Justice. Book 2, Color of Money Seventeen year-old Loretta Peterson is restless under her father’s overprotective eye. But when a well-dressed FBI agent brings tragic news about Loretta’s mother, and then a disturbing video surfaces at her funeral, Loretta sets off on a dangerous quest for answers... moreBook 3 in the Alicia Yu, FBI series. Book 1, Burning Justice. Book 2, Color of Money Seventeen year-old Loretta Peterson is restless under her father’s overprotective eye. But when a well-dressed FBI agent brings tragic news about Loretta’s mother, and then a disturbing video surfaces at her funeral, Loretta sets off on a dangerous quest for answers. Will she finally find the truth about her mother’s absent love, or will she be trapped in the same net that killed her?  In order to save an innocent life, Alicia Yu and Loretta will both navigate the darkest and most dangerous corners of Sin City. less