Hilton Head author debuts thriller ‘Bus No. 7’

Mary J. Nestor, a Hilton Head Island author and communications consultant, has released her debut psychological thriller, Bus No. 7, through Bold Story Press. Published June 24, the 448-page novel is now available online and through major distributors.

Set in the fictional town of Shepherdsville, the book opens with a drug addict’s plan to rob a pregnant woman and escalates into a high-stakes ride aboard a runaway bus. Characters tangled in addiction, deception, and desperation collide in a suspense-driven plot exploring survival and morality.

Nestor said the idea came unexpectedly. “It started as a short story exercise at a writers conference in Michigan,” she said. “I picked a pregnant woman, a drug addict, a bus stop—and it just took off from there.”

The short story sparked immediate interest. “I stood up to read it at the open mic, and people’s mouths just dropped open,” she recalled. “They asked, ‘What happens next?’ I didn’t know, but I knew I had to find out.”

The novel was a finalist in the Novel-in-Progress category of the 2020 William Faulkner Literary Competition and was picked up for publication in 2023. Nestor worked with Bold Story Press, a boutique publisher known for supporting women authors. “The editing process was intense,” she said. “I had to learn to take criticism—every page came back marked up. But they believed in my story, and that made me push through.”

Nestor’s previous books include Emily’s Best Birthday Party Ever!—a children’s story inspired by her grandchildren—and Say It Now! Say It Right!, a communications guide that draws on her experience as a speaker and HR consultant. She believes her background in communication helped shape the nuanced dialogue in Bus No. 7.

“These characters are flawed,” Nestor said. “But I think that’s what makes them real. We all carry something. That’s the humanity I wanted to bring to the page.”

Early response to the novel has been enthusiastic “Mary Nestor’s debut novel introduces a collection of unsavory and dangerous characters that sweep the reader into a dark landscape of crime and addiction where even the savvy detective has to play catch-up.

Bus No. 7 has readers wondering—what awaits when they turn the next page?”—Karen Dove Barr, author of Burnt Pot Island and the forthcoming Night’s a Shadow, Day’s a Shine

The author now lives full-time on Hilton Head Island, where she is already working on the sequel. “It starts exactly where Bus No. 7 leaves off,” she said. “Some familiar faces return—and some don’t.”

Bus No. 7 is available in paperback and hardcover. ISBNs: 978-1954805859 and 1954805853. To learn more, visit maryjnestor.com or follow @maryjnestor on social media.

Nestor will host a signing at Barnes & Noble in Savannah on Aug. 2, with additional events planned on Hilton Head later this year.