First published 2026
Milly has lost her gift for reading tea leaves, but she doesn't miss the visions of a bleak future. She works at a diner in a forgotten town while her younger sister Francis builds a new life far away. The sisters haven't spoken since that day in the Tennessee meadow ten years ago when they buried their first body. Francis appears at Milly's door with bruises and terror in her eyes. Her wealthy husband beats her, and she needs help to escape. The tea leaves speak clearly for the first time in years. They must kill him, or he will kill Francis first. The sisters return to their aunts' house where they learned to hide secrets and dispose of bad men. They have done this before. The old grave in the meadow proves they know how to protect each other. Francis's husband has money and connections, but the sisters have something more dangerous. They have nothing left to lose and everything to protect.
Genres: domestic-fiction, crime, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller, mystery-thriller, dark
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, gritty, haunting, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-past, found-family, protective-love, sisters-bond
Setting: Tennessee, diner, meadow, aunts' house
Period: 10 years ago, contemporary
416 pages · Paperback · Poisoned Pen Press
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, murder