by Sophie Ward
First published 2022
Claire Rodriguez arrives for her first teaching assignment at Pine Creek Elementary with carefully packed lesson plans and quiet determination. But something is wrong with this isolated mountain school—the hallways feel too silent, student records are incomplete, and the principal gives evasive answers about the previous staff's sudden departure. As Claire starts investigating strange inconsistencies in the school's history, she uncovers a dangerous web of local corruption that threatens not just her job, but her safety. Someone wants the school's secrets to remain buried, and they're watching her every move. Claire must decide how far she'll go to expose the truth without becoming another disappeared teacher.
Genres: crime, contemporary, mystery-thriller, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Pine Creek Elementary, Africa
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Paperback · Vintage