A terror haunts the town of New Haven, tucked into the deepest recesses of the Rocky Mountains. They say he lurks between the trees, hunting from the shadows, and when you let your guard down is the moment he strikes, preying on carelessness and a lack of alertness. Many children have disappeared since his presence has been noted, and many more are soon to come; until Calliope arrives.
A former police officer gifted with empathy and, above all, an innate sense of understanding, Calliope arrived in New Haven following a career-ending injury, moving into her new home with a wounded pride and a need to survive. But to survive this winter, Calliope needs to get to the bottom of this unknown presence in New Haven, lest she becomes the next face to show up on a missing person flier.
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]]