Patricia Crandall

The Red Gondola and the Cova Patricia Crandall

Nine-year-old Caroline Wilkes slips away from her brother's ninth grade graduation party, to get a free ticket for a gondola ride at Storm Mountain for his gift, only to disappear. Clue by clue, the police discover it's no ordinary kidnapping and the suspect may be closer to Caroline than anyone ever realized. During a hike near Storm Mountain, Lester Cranshaw and his dogs, Paddy and Patches, are drawn into the sordid mystery by discovering an injured cat possessing a dark secret only he can make known. At once, Lester finds himself searching for an innocent child and fighting evil forces. The Red Gondola and The Cova, a chilling thriller, stirs the tempest of domestic abuse, opioid abuse, and modern child slavery and sex trafficking. One shining light is an appearance by the Blessed Mother, at the cova, to one of the victims. It reveals a world where the most sacred bonds are shattered--a world where a mother sells her child.