Bettina (Tina) Berenson is a shy, bookish girl rejected by both parents. But her life radically changes when her father starts taking her to the places he frequents: racetracks, nightclubs, and the occasional company of gangsters he admires. When her father dies two years later, the distraught and lonely fifteen-year-old girl is easy prey for a charismatic crime lord. Fate brings Jake Stern and Tina together when a vicious mobster goes on trial. Tina, former mob mistress, is the key witness, and Jake, the prosecuting attorney, is repelled by her past but obsessed with her physical presence. But someone wants Tina dead, and in order for her to testify, Jake has to keep her alive.

Dangerous Lies

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Lisa April Smith

Thrillers & Suspense

Blackstone Audio,Inc.

Twenty-three-year-old Charlotte (Charlie) is struggling to cope with the loss of her beloved father, her sister's resulting mental breakdown, and the discovery that she's now penniless. Fortunately, Raul, an admiring young attorney, offers assistance to the traumatized young woman. Charlie soon realizes that she must learn what drove her father to kill himself. With Raul's much-needed ego-bolstering, she pursues a career that makes practical use of her lanky frame. Despite roadblocks and emotional upheavals, she embarks on an ocean-spanning journey that leads to a family she doesn't know, distressing truths about her father, crimes great and small, and a diabolical villain.

Exceeding Expectations (Charlie)

Romance

Contemporary

The title for The Second Best Time comes from a Chinese proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now." And it suits a story of three people at a crossroads in their lives: Jack Caine (a.k.a. Jack Morgan), former lothario and sometimes con man, now the owner of a successful gallery in the United Kingdom; his daughter Charlie (Charlotte) Morgan Francesco, thirty-two and an art consultant; and new to the series, Kat (Kathleen O'Connor Shironsky), a twenty-four-year-old street-smart, unemployed bookkeeper. Dying of cancer and worried about his immortal soul, that rascal Jack confesses his long list of sins to the Reverend Nigel. The stunned but sympathetic clergyman convinces Jack that his most heinous sin was the one perpetrated on his daughters, who believe that he committed suicide. Both men agree that seeing their father suddenly reappear, only to die a painful death shortly after, would cause additional harm. Filled with guilt and remorse, Jack swears to see to it that his beloved daughters are content, safe, and protected, but anonymously. Typical of Jack, the plan he hatches is as convoluted and ingenious as it is entertaining. Seated on a park bench, struggling to find the courage to face social condemnation by leaving a miserable marriage to a husband with multiple sclerosis, Charlie meets Kat, whose boss was just arrested by the FBI for tax evasion. But losing her job is the least of Kat's problems. Savings account emptied, three months behind on the rent, her husband has mysteriously disappeared. The mismatched pair join forces to overcome adversity and fight crime with brains, grit, and humor. And yes, along the way, some attractive gentlemen help provide the sizzle.

The Second Best Time (Charlie Series, Book 3)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lisa April Smith. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Lisa April Smith

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Lisa April Smith. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Dangerous Lies

Exceeding Expectations (Charlie)

The Second Best Time (Charlie Series, Book 3)