Without Consent spans the world, from a little gold mining town in the mountains of California to the rugged coast of Scotland. This mystery is for readers who like a bit of murder and mayhem mixed in with their romance. Social worker Ariel Frazer Houston’s life is about to change forever. After both her step-mother and her husband, Morgan, are murdered within a week, it becomes obvious that Ariel is the target. She doesn’t realize the killer wants to cover up evidence of an illegal procedure performed on her body without her knowledge or Without Consent. The situation becomes so frightening after Morgan’s murder that Ariel is urged to leave California until the killer is found. She flees to Scotland to live with her grandparents, and all is well until Ariel discovers she is pregnant with twins. Ariel meets up again with Riley, who was both Morgan and Ariel’s best friend. He stepped aside and never told her of his feelings. Riley persuades Ariel to see historic Scotland with him. Their journey brings the two close together, but the past is about to catch up, when the murderer kidnaps Ariel after she returns home in California. Above all, Without Consent is about family and family connections, by birth and by choice. It is about trust, renewal and hope. Virginia R Degner of Castro Valley, California, is a retired social worker and former newspaper reporter. She and her husband are parents to three and grandparents to four. She has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and is working on her next book.