A tense, twisty, and absorbing tale of secrets that refuse to stay buried.
When Kiera McKenna’s best friend’s nephew disappears from a nearby Nebraska town, the case hits close to an already troubled home. Kiera’s marriage to Pierce, the powerful local newspaper publisher, is coming apart, and her adult son has pulled away from her. The disappearance also brings renewed attention to Reggie Parks, a local outcast whose younger brother vanished decades ago—and who has lived under a cloud of suspicion ever since.
Ungashick makes good use of the connections and grudges that thrive in a small town, where an old rumor can carry nearly as much weight as fact. Kiera’s search for answers opens doors she might have been better off leaving closed, and her uneasy relationship with Reggie gives the story much of its tension. The 1995 setting works particularly well, with the lack of cell phones and easy access to information giving the mystery room to tighten. The pace occasionally drags as Kiera turns over her troubled marriage and past, but the mounting questions keep the pages turning. Ungashick keeps shifting the ground beneath her characters, making this a satisfying story about suspicion, family loyalty, and the price of keeping quiet.
***
Red Adept Publishing
Pub date September 29, 2026
ISBN 978-1971903132
Price $2.99 Kindle edition, $20.99 Paperback
