THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE is a timely, suspenseful thriller complete at 76,000 words. Blending action, humor, and heart, this novel explores themes of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of found family. It will appeal to readers of Paula McClain and Nina Simon, who crave intelligent, complex female protagonists and stories that blend mystery, thriller, and overcoming past trauma.

When Secret Service Agent Isa Campos is selected to protect the first female president, the enormous responsibility forces her to confront a childhood secret. She returns to her stifling hometown in West Virginia, facing memories of a past, where she chose silence over rescuing someone. Secret Service or not, there really are no secrets in a small town when people are alive to tell them.

An assassination attempt on the president wounds Isa, and sends her back home to recover at her late mamá’s house. Off duty and suffocated by self-doubt, she becomes consumed by an obsession to identify the shooter. Complicating matters further, Isa’s audacious and largely inappropriate best friend takes on an amateur detective role, poking around in all the wrong places.

When the Capitol Hill Post exposes Isa’s identity, national interest descends on her hometown, bringing danger right to her doorstep. To truly be of service to her team, Isa must connect with a past she’d abandoned long ago. Guided by the memory of her mamá’s voice, Isa must find and confront an evil threat—one that could devastate Isa, her town, and her country. “Cuidate, Isa…” (Take care of yourself.)