First published 2011
China Bayles arrives at a burning house trailer in Pecan Springs, Texas, just as spring brings the town back to life. The former lawyer turned herbalist hears screams for help but cannot save the woman trapped inside. The fire was no accident. Someone deliberately set the blaze to kill. Jessica Nelson, a young intern reporter at the local newspaper, gets assigned to write about the arson murder. She digs too deep into the story and asks the wrong questions. When Jessica vanishes without a trace, China knows the reporter has stumbled onto something dangerous. The same person who committed murder may have taken Jessica. China must track down the missing woman before she becomes the killer's next victim. Time runs short as China searches for clues in a case where asking questions can be deadly.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, missing-person
Setting: Pecan Springs, Texas
Period: spring
301 pages · Hardcover · Berkley
Content warnings: violence