This Bitter Treasure

A dying invalid... a house full of treasures... a family haunted by tragedy. Deception and heartbreak stalk estate sale organizer Audrey Nealon when she accepts a lucrative new job in a posh New Jersey town. Eager to settle their mother's estate and close the door on their elegant family home, the Eskew children hire Audrey to run an estate sale as their mother lies dying, tended by a home health aide. Every day Audrey works in the house, she discovers another valuable artwork and another family secret. How did the adored oldest son die? What's wrong with the strange younger sister? Who is making off with rare books, antique silver, and vintage ball gowns? Most of all, how reliable are the dying woman's deathbed ramblings? As Audrey uncovers more about the Eskew family's tortured past, she begins to doubt her own perceptions of the elusive people who surround her in the house. Charm turns to deceit, compassion morphs to rage. Whom can she trust? When a murderer strikes, Audrey's sense of justice compels her to defend the defenseless, no matter the risk to herself.