The Black Sand Bargain

About this book

On the volcanic island of Veyra, Mara Kline survives by ensuring that every favor earns a return. Four years after fleeing a mainland embezzlement scandal, the lean, calculating outsider has converted tourist deceptions and supplier kickbacks into a fragile livelihood moving rare hardwoods between isolated villages. Her position begins to fracture when mainland auditor Ines Calder arrives seeking land records, local activists challenge the ecological cost of Mara's routes, and a monsoon threatens to erase the paths on which her business depends. The return of Theo Aro, one of two brothers who once offered Mara friendship, forces her to revisit her penniless first months on Veyra and the discovery of an underground spring that could have protected drought-stricken farms. Alternating between Mara's compromised present and the choices that built it, the novel follows a community contesting who may profit from its land, water, and traditions. As buried records and damaged loyalties surface, Mara must decide how much accountability she can endure without surrendering the leverage by which she has always lived.

Book details

Genres:

Drama, Psychological Fiction, Environmental Fiction, New Adult Fiction

Language:

en

Published:

2026-07-10

Content rating:

PG-13