by Gin Phillips
First published 2026
Ada Smith has been slipping into the Ruby Falls caverns after dark, drawn to the underground world that opened when a Chattanooga man discovered a 150-foot waterfall inside a mountain in 1928. Now the Great Depression threatens to close the tourist attraction before it can succeed. The owners arrange a publicity stunt: a famous mind reader will descend into the caves to locate a hidden hatpin using psychic powers alone. Five people accompany him underground. Ada and fellow guide Quinton follow at a distance as backup in case something goes wrong. Something does go wrong, but not what anyone expected. One person dies in the darkness. Ada realizes a killer walks among the survivors. With their lights fading and no way to know who committed murder, she must guide everyone back to the surface. The cave that gave her freedom has become a trap where innocents and guilty alike depend on her for survival.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, crime
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, survival
Setting: Chattanooga, Ruby Falls
Period: 1928, Great Depression
368 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Crime
Content warnings: death, murder