It was supposed to be just another quiet night. The stars were out, the house was calm, and Nancy was winding down after a long day. But everything changed in an instant as her dog kept barking and refused to come back inside when she called him. She went to find him and made a horrifying discovery.

HIT & RUN: NANCY & JJ, the gripping novel by Roxanne Rose 1, begins with this chilling scenario: a woman finds a person lying motionless on the roadside just a short distance from her home. That woman is Nancy—nurse, mother, friend—and in that moment, she’s forced into a life-or-death situation that tests her instincts, courage, and compassion.

The person is Linda, a former colleague and once-close friend. She’s barely alive. Her injuries are catastrophic. And worst of all, it’s clear someone left her there to die.

From that moment, HIT & RUN unfolds into a powerful story of trauma, mystery, and justice. Nancy quickly transforms from bystander to caregiver, and ultimately, to someone deeply invested in the investigation. Her world, already full of responsibility, becomes entangled in a web of questions: Who hit Linda? Was it really an accident? And why was she left behind like discarded debris?

As readers, we can’t help but ask ourselves: What would I have done?

Would you run toward danger the way Nancy did? Would you stay calm under pressure? Would you get involved in an investigation that hits disturbingly close to home?

Roxanne Rose doesn’t just craft a suspenseful story—she makes you feel the weight of every decision. Nancy isn’t a superhero. She’s flawed, human, and doing the best she can in an impossible situation. That’s what makes her so relatable… and her nightmare so haunting.

HIT & RUN isn’t just about solving a crime—it’s about the ripple effects of one violent act. It’s about family secrets, fractured friendships, and the terrifying possibility that a caring person you know and respect could be capable of the unthinkable.

The question stands: If you were Nancy, standing over a shattered person, on a dark road, what would you do?

Whatever your answer, one thing’s for sure—once you step into Nancy’s nightmare, you won’t put this book down until you reach the final page.

TRUE STORY

I will never forget that warm summer day. I was in the kitchen, puttering around, trying to tidy things up, something I rarely did. The weather was so pleasant, I had the French doors leading to the porch open with the screens pulled together to keep out any of our abundant flying friends.

I was trying to decide what to do next when I heard a sound I didn’t immediately recognize. It was getting louder and seemed to be rapidly heading toward my house. Out of curiosity, I stepped out onto the porch just as a small blue and white mini car roared loudly by my house, travelling at least 100 mph.    I got a fleeting look at the driver and a girl in the back passenger seat. Within nanoseconds, they were out of sight.

I didn’t know if they were drunk or just driving fast for what they perceived to be fun. I certainly hoped they knew this road because in less than a minute, they were going to hit a curve at the top of a fairly steep hill that I doubted a NASCAR driver could navigate at that speed.

The next sounds I heard were the ones I didn’t want to hear – squealing tires and a loud crash. I called 911, found my shoes and ran to my car. I drove faster than I usually did, but was in control. When I reached the curve at the top of the hill, I stopped. The mini had flipped, but there were already 4 local men picking the car up and turning it over onto its wheels.

Within minutes, I heard the siren of the ambulance approaching. Almost immediately, 2 state police cars arrived on the scene. One parked just a few yards in front of the mini, leaving his cruiser lights flashing. The other drove to the top of the hill where I was parked. He kindly asked me to turn around and go home. They were going to block off the road. I would just be another car caught in what might soon be a chaotic traffic tangle.

I drove home wondering how those men managed to get there so quickly and organized, while I called 911, put on my shoes, grabbed my car keys and drove to the site. I am always amazed at how quickly people respond to emergency situations in rural Maine.

Regardless of what you have done in the past or will do in the future, the point of this true story is one example of my experience in rural Maine. When someone is experiencing distress, a person or persons will stop to help. Nancy’s actions were not special or uncharacteristic. She responded as a typical person living in this rural environment.

Roxanne Rose 1