Erasing Mrs. Loomis

About the Book

At age 58, Julia Loomis cannot bear another day married to Joe, her husband of 35 years. His verbal abuse and sarcasm destroy her self-image while his anger controls her like a puppet on a string. Divorce is not an option.

When Julia and Joe are visiting the Baltimore harbor with their daughter Lucy and grandson, Julia disguises herself and disappears while her family is on tour. She hopes her family will think she was abducted.

Under the new identity as Judy England, she flies to Boise, Idaho. Lonely and scared, she faces a future entirely under her control, knowing she has little money and no job skills at all.

She finds a job in a bookstore owned by a former professor, Evan Danner. His assistant, Misty Rogers, has a handsome twin brother, Nick. Although much younger than Judy, he is attracted to her. Judy feels she is falling in love. Good friend Evan disapproves. Although Judy loves her new life, she knows in her heart someday Joe will find her.

Back in New Jersey, Joe is miserable. He misses all the things Julia used to do for him, and even his mistress, Marie, can’t console him. The Baltimore police can find no clues, and even the expensive investigator Joe has hired has come up empty. Then they get a break when a charge to Western Union shows up on Julia’s Visa bill.

Although Judy loves her new life, she knows in her heart that someday Joe will find her. She has developed new strength and faith in herself, however, and when he does, she is able to confront him with new confidence.

An attempted robbery at the book store forces the players in this drama to join forces and come to some surprising conclusions.

About the Author

A former editor with AT&T, Mary K. Baxter, is the author of three published novels and a collection of short stories. She is also a former teacher, a world traveler, a Yankee fan, a jazz lover, and a gardener. A former manager of the Somerset Valley Orchestra, she has been playing the clarinet for over twenty years. Mary has two grown daughters, and lives in a beautiful valley in New Jersey.