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Zusatztext "Picoult has carved her own niche with her novels -- one part romance! one part courtroom thriller! two parts social commentary.... She keep[s] the reader constantly guessing." -- The Dallas Morning News Informationen zum Autor Jodi Picoult Klappentext From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult comes a compelling and “multilayered tale of small-town intrigue” ( Glamour ) about a prep schoolteacher accused of rape by a group of young girls, the woman who stands by him, and the repercussions of the case in a New England town where the past is only a heartbeat away. Love can redeem a man...but secrets and lies can condemn him. A handsome stranger comes to the sleepy New England town of Salem Falls in hopes of burying his past. Once a prep schoolteacher, Jack St. Bride was destroyed when a student’s crush sparked a powder keg of accusation. Now, washing dishes for Addie Peabody at the Do-Or-Diner, he slips quietly into his new routine, and Addie finds this unassuming man fitting easily inside her heart. But amid the rustic calm of Salem Falls, a quartet of teenage girls harbor dark secrets—and they maliciously launch a modern-day witch hunt. Now, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of gray, and to the woman who has come to love him in this unputdownable novel that will keep you “constantly guessing” ( The Dallas Morning News ) until the very last page. Chapter One March 2000 Salem Falls, New Hampshire On the second worst day of Addie Peabody´s life, her refrigerator and dishwasher both died, like long-term lovers who could not conceive of existing without each other. This would have been a trial for anyone, but as she was the owner of the Do-Or-Diner, it blossomed into a catas-trophe of enormous proportions. Addie stood with her hands pressed to the stainless steel door of the Sub-Zero walk-in, as if she might jump-start its heart by faith healing. It was hard to decide what was more devastating: the health violations or the loss of potential income. Twenty pounds of dry ice, the most the medical supply store had to offer, wasn´t doing the job. Within hours, Addie would have to throw away the gallon buckets of gravy, stew, and chicken soup made that morning. "I think," she said after a moment, "I´m going to build a snowman." "Now?" asked Delilah, the cook, her crossed arms as thick as a blacksmith´s. She frowned. "You know, Addie, I never believed it when folks around here called you crazy, but -- " "I´ll stick it in the fridge. Maybe it´ll save the food until the repairman gets here." "Snowmen melt," Delilah said, but Addie could tell that she was turning the idea over in her mind. "Then we´ll mop up and make more." "And I suppose you´re just gonna let the customers fend for themselves?" "No," Addie said. "I´m going to get them to help. Will you get Chloe´s boots?" The diner was not crowded for 10 A.M. Of the six booths, two were occupied: one by a mother and her toddler, the other by a businessman brushing muffin crumbs off his laptop. A couple of elderly regulars, Stuart and Wallace, slouched at the counter drinking coffee while they argued over the local paper´s headlines. "Ladies and gentlemen," Addie proclaimed. "I´m pleased to announce the start of the Do-or-Diner´s winter carnival. The first event is going to be a snow-sculpture contest, and if you´d all just come out back for a moment, we can get started -- " "It´s freezing out there!" cried Wallace. "Well, of course it is. Otherwise we´d be having a summer carnival. Winner of the contest gets...a month of breakfast on the house." Stuart and Wallace shrugged, a good sign. The toddler bounced on the banquette lik...
