Leaving a Mark

by Jody Wenner

Dottie’s facial anomaly makes it difficult for her to connect with kids her own age, especially her bullheaded cousin Tommy. Unfortunately, she’s stuck with him during the hot summer days of 1970. When he suddenly goes missing, leaving behind only his filthy red ball cap, she casts their differences aside in search of answers. Confronting family and her own fears, it seems nobody in her small Minnesota town is willing to talk. Years later, she digs into the family’s past and starts seeing a disturbing pattern of secrets and lies. A new friend helps her find strength in her weaknesses and pushes her to continue down the dark path, ultimately leading her back to a villain all too familiar to her and her family.

316 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2017

About the author

Jody Wenner is a Midwestern author with several independently published mystery novels as well as two works released by The Wild Rose Press. Shorter stories and articles can be found in the pages of Mystery Magazine Weekly, Punk Noir, Urban Pigs Press, Pistol Jim Press, The Keepthings, and Thriller101. When not writing, reading, or editing, you can find her walking her dog or obsessively knitting. Visit her at www.jodywenner.com

Reviews

[Christy Hollan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

Wonderful character development, especially with Dottie/Lores. Although there is no earth shattering action, the plot moves along at a nice, steady pace to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. I enjoyed it!

[Ken Grater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Leaving a Mark was an interesting look into how family secrets can affect all aspects of your life. I liked the twists in the story and was surprised with the ending so it was fun to read.

[Francisco Martini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating and engaging

I really enjoyed this book. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. This is the third book i have read by this author and by far my favorite. I enjoy coming of age stories and the underlying mystery element kept the pages turning.

[Mary ONeill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

This book brought memories back to me as I am from Lores's generation. The story has a feeling of truth to it.

[Edward Karlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love learning about family secrets and "Leaving a Mark" had some really big ones. It reminded me a little bit of A Prayer for Owen Meany and a little of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But it didn’t seem like a copy of those stories at all, it just had similar themes.

The mystery was complex, original, and drew me in right away. It was exciting to learn so much about the lead character and follow her throughout the years. All the characters were well-developed and realistic, the world they lived in was also easy to picture.