Molly Madison's life is shattered with the sudden death of her beloved parents and the revelation of her husband Phillip's affair-with another man. Molly heads west to Montana, resolved to run the family ranch, the Ghost Bear, and to move on with her life. Her attraction to Clayton Leatherbe, the ranch foreman, is instant, but before a romance can blossom, the ranch falls prey to sabotage by wealthy land developers determined to drive Molly out, and Clayton learns of a family secret that could put the ranch-and Molly's life-in jeopardy. A sharp mystery that deals with the themes of family secrets, betrayal, love, and loss, Once Wicked Always Dead is a strong debut from an author with literary blood in her veins.

T. Marie Benchley is an author and student in life. With a family heritage of actors and writers she was introduced to classic literature at an early age and remains a passionate reader. Although the only sharks on her pages are attorneys and the monsters in her plots are sociopaths, her primary desire is to entertain her readers. Though formally educated in journalism and marketing, she is also an avid traveler, finding inspiration for her novels by studying people and listening to their stories.