Part of The Rev. Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries, book 8
First published 2014
Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne responds to a house fire on a bitter January night in Millers Kill. What starts as a blaze becomes a double murder and kidnapping case. Russ struggles with becoming a father while his wife Clare, an Episcopal priest, faces investigation by church authorities over her pregnancy. The vestry questions whether her condition is appropriate for clergy. Clare has seven days to learn if she will face discipline or suspension. Meanwhile, Officer Hadley Knox watches her relationship with Kevin Flynn reach a crossroads as he considers a job offer from Syracuse police. The investigation pulls Russ and Clare into dangers they have never faced before. Personal crises collide with professional duties as the week unfolds. Each character must make choices that will reshape their lives permanently. This eighth mystery in the series tests every relationship in ways that cannot be undone.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Millers Kill
Period: January
416 pages · Paperback · MinotaurBooks
Content warnings: mental-illness