Stone Angel by Carol O'Connell

When NYPD detective Louis Markowitz arrested 10-year-old Kathy Mallory for stealing, he and his wife adopted her, rather than taking her to juvenile hall.

Now Markowitz and his wife are both dead, and Mallory has grown from a feral child into a formidable cop, both beautiful and cold.

After solving the mystery of Markowitz's murder, Mallory journeys further back into her past to find out the truth about what happened to her biological mother.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

A young boy hides under the blankets from his abusive father. Later in life, blankets become linked with his first love and the time they spend together.

This graphic memoir surpasses typical coming-of-age stories, both in its masterful plot and with the multi-dimensional perspective that only a comic book can provide.

The result is powerful and mesmerizing.

Sister Mine by Tawni O'Dell

A former cop returns to her hometown to start her own cab company.

Smart, sassy and tough-as-nails, She-Lynn always believed that, while she was away at college, her younger sister was murdered by their abusive father.

But when a nosy lawyer comes around asking questions, Shae-Lyeen begins to suspect that her sister might have survived after all.