Part of The Rev. Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries, book 7
First published 2011
Five Iraq War veterans meet in the Millers Kill community center on a September evening. Each carries invisible wounds from combat. Rev. Clare Fergusson tries to forget her days as a combat helicopter pilot and focus on her relationship with Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne. MP Eric McCrea battles explosive anger that threatens his police career. Track star Will Ellis adjusts to life as a double amputee. Orthopedist Trip Stillman denies his traumatic brain injury. Bookkeeper Tally McNabb carries guilt from an affair overseas that endangers her marriage. When one veteran dies, Russ rules it suicide. Clare refuses to accept his verdict and launches her own investigation with the surviving veterans. Their search for truth uncovers a conspiracy reaching from their small Adirondack town to the Army's highest ranks, from Millers Kill's waters to Baghdad's dangerous streets. The case tests Clare and Russ's relationship as they navigate between official procedure and personal conviction.
Genres: fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation, personal-conviction
Setting: Adirondack, Baghdad, Millers Kill
Period: Iraq War
336 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books
Content warnings: mental-illness, war