Description

Three decades have passed since a federal agent and two suspects vanished mysteriously into the wilderness, a troubling cold case with no bodies, no closure, and no convincing explanation. Now, their presumed murderer is about to walk out of prison a free man—but the truth may be far darker and more complicated than anyone imagined.

In the small town of Dry Oaks, California, Police Chief Hanna Keyes has lived in the shadow of her father Joe’s conviction, firmly believing him guilty and worthy of the time he’s served. Hanna wants nothing to do with him, so when she learns Joe is terminally ill and receiving compassionate early release, her first instinct is to turn away. But reluctantly, she seizes her last chance to solve the cold case by agreeing to provide care for her estranged father.

Joe’s return to Dry Oaks coincides with a sudden surge in criminal activity. Complicating matters even further, a well-known true-crime podcaster begins poking around town looking for new details, and Jared, Hanna’s former flame, resurfaces when emotions are already running high. As Hanna pushes Joe harder to reveal what truly happened all those years ago, new evidence linked to the disappearances starts conveniently surfacing, alarming Hanna and suggesting there’s far more going on than she previously realized.

As Joe’s health deteriorates, Hanna teams up with her fellow officers to unravel both the decades-old mysteries and the rapidly unfolding crimes happening in her own community. Piecing together clues, Hanna realizes there’s a sinister and wide-reaching conspiracy behind everything, and that someone in town will stop at nothing to bury the truth forever.

This contemporary romantic suspense can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, and bonus discussion questions are included, ideal for book clubs. It skillfully blends police procedural drama with a compelling murder mystery based around a decades-old cold case.