About this book:

Nora Hale, a forensic neuropsychologist, returns to her hometown of Wren Bay after her brother Ethan disappears while restoring the local lighthouse. Her investigation quickly shifts from a missing person case to the uncovering of a generational conspiracy involving the powerful Mercer family. She discovers that the town’s prestigious redevelopment project is a front to hide massive environmental contamination, including illegally dumped medical isotopes and toxic waste, which Ethan had documented before being silenced.

As Nora and local deputy Sam Reyes delve deeper, they find that the corruption traces back decades to a land theft orchestrated by the current mayor’s father, Silas Mercer. This original crime was covered up by a suspicious cannery fire that killed Nora’s mother, an artist who had attempted to hide evidence of the dumping within her paintings. Nora eventually discovers a secret laboratory beneath the lighthouse containing the physical proof of these crimes, as well as a hidden ledger that confirms the Mercer family's long history of predation and theft.

The climax occurs in the lighthouse lantern room during a violent storm, where Nora confronts Mayor Alden Mercer and his henchman, Tom Ivers. After a recording of the mayor’s confession is revealed, Nora manages to survive a murder attempt and secures the evidence. The book concludes with the legal downfall of the Mercer empire and the federal lockdown of the town. Although the lighthouse beam is permanently extinguished, Nora finds peace by finally exposing the truth about her family’s past and staying to oversee the town’s long road to recovery.