A Light in the Forest: A Novel

Written by Melissa Payne

Narrated by Kay Eluvian

From Melissa Payne, bestselling author of The Night of Many Endings, comes an emotional and suspenseful novel about the weight of secrets and the healing power of friends and family.

Vega Jones escapes an abusive relationship with nothing but her two-month-old baby and the van she grew up in. Her destination is a small Ohio town her late vagabond mother left years ago. It’s one full of nobodies, her mother warned. That makes it the ideal refuge for Vega to lie low, feel safe, and maybe learn more about a past her mother never spoke of.

Vega warms to the town and to new acquaintances like Heff, the young deputy and artist who prefers his yard art to actual policing, and empathetic Eve, a local farmer whose near-death experience gave her more than just her life back. But even in this welcoming community, there’s an undercurrent of something unsettled, talk of a tragedy that unfolded in the woods years ago, and a mystery connected to Vega in ways she couldn’t have anticipated.

As a mother on the run and following a path of mounting risks and illuminating secrets, Vega discovers that even during the darkest of times, there’s light in unexpected places.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781978694460

Melissa Payne

Melissa Payne is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Lost Stones. For as long as she can remember, Melissa has been telling stories in one form or another—from high school newspaper articles to a graduate thesis to blogging about marriage and motherhood. But she first learned the real importance of storytelling when she worked for a residential and day treatment center for abused and neglected children. There she wrote speeches and letters to raise funds for the children. The truth in those stories was piercing and painful and written to invoke in the reader a call to action: to give, to help, to make a difference. Melissa’s love of writing and sharing stories in all forms has endured. She lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and three children, a friendly mutt, a very loud cat, and the occasional bear. For more information, visit www.melissapayneauthor.com.

Reviews for A Light in the Forest

[Morryah McCurdy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was alright. All together nothing crazy. Felt like the narrator kind of ruined it. Book slump material

[Ju Dawson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most beautiful plot twist
Beautiful storyline well done ?

[Cozette · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Loved the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming.

[fernemysteryreader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Vega Jones is on the run! She's on the run with her 2-month-old son Riley in a van that was her childhood home. Vega knows she must escape Zach's abuse. Her mother's words about men are now the audio in her mind encouraging her to get to safety. Vega's on her way to Crystal, Ohio. This small town will help her feel closer to her mother. Vega is also hopeful to learn why her childhood home was the van, living a nomadic life with her mother, always ready to move on to the next town, and never wanting to answer questions about the past.After reading "The Night of Many Endings," I knew I wanted to read more of the author's writing. This novel is emotive and powerful as the author tackles tough subjects of domestic abuse, transphobia, animal cruelty, and more. Some scenes may be graphic in the description, but each scene contributes to the whole not frivolously but with sensitivity. There are many heartwrenching moments as the story unfolds with changing POVs and timelines. Underlying the fear and risks of staying in Crystal, there is courage, hope, resilience, and encouragement. It is a novel that makes a reader introspective. More importantly, it enlightens and inspires kindness and acceptance.