When the Smoke Clears

"A psychologically authentic quest into a complex history of love and grief." -Kirkus Reviews

"In When the Smoke Clears, a raw and atmospheric novel, Kat Edwards examines the layers of grief and generational trauma with a touch so deft it's almost restorative."-IndieReader

"Graced with insight on grieving, healing from past traumas, and the lengths mothers will go to protect their children, Edwards's compact but impactful novel offers a moving and unpredictable mystery..." -BookLife

"...an intriguing and enjoyable read. Excellent work!" -Readers' Favorite

"When the Smoke Clears is an entertaining story with themes of grief, suicide, PTSD, abuse, and the dynamic of family relationships." -San Diego Book Review

Talia Brighton, the young widow of a Los Angeles firefighter is drowning in grief, plagued with nightmares and a terrifying sleepwalking habit as she struggles to overcome the horrific death of her husband. As Talia-who prides herself as "not a hugger, not a crier"-battles regret for the role she may have played in Russ's death, she starts seeing things she can't explain and begins to question if she is fit to raise their daughter Riley.

To make matters worse, a puzzling phone call from a dying old man in Australia thrusts Talia and her deeply cynical sister, Naomi into confronting the mysterious tragedies of their past and their family's generational traumas. Together they endeavor to solve the 1964 murder of their mother, and unravel a diabolical, decades-long plot to rob them of their family fortune and true identities. Talia must navigate the emotional destruction of both past and present if she is to triumph, and this means having the courage to cast aside the Teflon exterior that has shielded her for so many years.