As a Homicide Detective based in Melbourne Australia for the last decade, Jack Fletcher thinks he's seen it all.
Until he's called to investigate the murder of seven year old Jessica Holmes.
Jack is deeply affected by the murder scene, where he notices the young girl has not only been murdered but slowly tortured. He suspects the work is that of a serial killer, and works tirelessly to stop the murderer from striking again.
With two young daughters of his own, Jack is driven relentlessly to solve the crime, even if that means his descent back into the madness of heavy drinking, and the disintegration of his marriage...
When Jane Madarang's neighbor Natalie kills herself and leaves behind cryptic instructions, it's up to Jane and her classmates to unearth deadly secrets.
*****
Natalie Driscoll is dead.
She threw herself out a window and left her neighbor Jane to unravel their town's darkest secrets. Following Natalie's instructions leads Jane to three other high school students who all have something to hide. The four of them must carry out Natalie's final errand while solving the mysteries written in her diary. But the secrets they unearth may be far more dangerous than what they ever imagined.
Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of suicide, violence and murder that may be triggering for some readers.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]