In this small-town mystery, a retired teacher moves to the Ozark mountains, where her eager manner ruffles some feathers—and unearths dark secrets.

Retired schoolteacher Caroline Hudson has moved to Hickory Bend, Missouri, to embrace small-town life. But her eagerness to join the community only rouses the suspicions of longtime residents. Luckily, her friend Terry needs help fixing up the old Hunter’s Mill. Caroline is thrilled to learn about her new home through this historic building—especially when she discovers some fascinating documents hidden in the attic.

These documents reveal family secrets of prejudice, pride, murder, and mayhem—just the kind of story that piques Caroline’s curiosity! But some residents would prefer to keep the unpleasantness buried in the past. When someone launches a cover-up as shocking and foolhardy as the original crime, it could bring a permanent end to Caroline’s new career in sleuthing . . .

Lin Waterhouse