Intersections
Coming May 6, 2o25
Secrets and guilt collide as Charlotte Oakes’ perfect life unravels after a hit-and-run possibly involving her troubled daughter. She forms a bond with Officer Ed Kelly, who carries his own burdens. Both haunted by loss, they face choices that could fracture their connection. Will Charlotte protect her daughter at any cost, or will Ed's duty to the law compel a decision neither can escape?
Lori Andrews, author of Sequence, The Silent Assassin, and Immunity.
“I was hooked from the first page by this compelling, propulsive, and moving story of families dissolving, building, loving, hating, and evolving amidst the moral dilemmas that define our era.”
Erica Plouffe Lazure, author of Proof of Me and Other Stories
“In this intriguing debut, Intersections offers a contemporary eye on family, infidelity, and fertility, illuminating both the burdens and blessings of mistakes, and the sometimes-messy path to grace.
In every chapter, Uhlmann brings to the page a cross-cut of voices from the Windy City, rendering tension with care and precision that keeps you guessing until the very end.”
Deborah Michael, author of Prosper Love
“You wouldn't expect a writer of such crystalline elegance to be able to crank up the tension, but crank it up Uhlmann does--and in deliciously unpredictable ways.”
Food-writer-turned-style-guru, Charlotte Oakes, sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover’s baby. Stunned after witnessing a fatal hit-and-run in downtown Chicago, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, home for Thanksgiving is the only one who could have been driving.
Police officer Ed Kelly’s partner and best friend has been killed in a drug bust, and forensics found that the bullet which hit him came from Ed’s gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the intersection, hoping to catch the child’s killer. There, he notices Charlotte’s increasing pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial. Charlotte initially avoids Ed, but curiosity gets the better of her. She brings him coffee, and the two become unlikely friends. They are confidants and share intimate stories, but Charlotte protects her daughter by never mentioning her suspicions about the accident. As they become closer, Charlotte feels as if her secret is a betrayal of Ed. She tries and fails to elicit the truth from her daughter. In the meantime, Ed discovers that Charlotte’s car is identical to the one from the hit-and-run.
Ed struggles with his beliefs and duties as an officer when he learns of Libby’s crime. His decision may alter three lives. If he does the right thing as an officer, he may lose Charlotte and send Libby to jail. If he keeps quiet, he has breached his commitment to the law.
Karen Uhlmann
Karen Uhlmann is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her debut novel, Intersections, will be released May 6, 2025. The novel explores an unlikely friendship, motherhood, and moral ambiguity.
