by Ron Rash
First published 2015
Sheriff Les has spent decades keeping peace in his small Appalachian town, but retirement looms as crystal meth ravages the community he knows by heart. The mountain hollow that shelters his neighbors also harbors their secrets and deep mistrust of strangers. Park ranger Becky arrives from outside, carrying wounds from her past and seeking refuge in the quiet forests and her love of poetry. The tight bonds that hold this North Carolina community together begin to fray when a brutal crime rocks the town. Les and Becky find themselves thrown together, wading through layers of deception that pit longtime neighbors against each other. As lies multiply and betrayal spreads, both must confront how far they will go to protect what matters most. The investigation threatens to destroy the very community Les has served and the peace Becky desperately seeks.
Genres: fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Appalachia, North Carolina
Period: Contemporary
252 pages · Hardcover · Ecco
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use