First published 2026
Charlotte Hoffman's career crumbles, forcing her back to Big Island, Minnesota. She swore she would never return to this place where her childhood friend Olivia Parker still lives. Eighteen years ago, a bloody tragedy tore Charlotte's world apart. She has carried the blame ever since. The Parker family takes Charlotte into their lakeside home. Dark woods press close around them. A rotting amusement park sits nearby, its carousel wailing in the wind. The Parker twins speak of ghosts moving between the trees. Threatening messages appear on doors. Each night brings another death on the island. Charlotte senses someone orchestrated her return. The same person who started something terrible years ago now wants to complete it. She must navigate mounting dangers while confronting the memories she buried. The island holds secrets that refuse to stay hidden, and Charlotte stands at the center of forces that have waited nearly two decades to finish their work.
Genres: mystery, horror, adult-fiction, thriller, psychological-thriller, dark
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, haunting, psychological, suspenseful, tension-filled
Tropes: buried-secrets, orchestrated-revenge, return-to-hometown, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Big Island, Minnesota, lakeside home, amusement park
352 pages · Paperback · Poisoned Pen Press
Content warnings: death, murder, violence