About this book:

In the hushed, fog‑cloaked valleys of Willow Creek, the silence of the pines is shattered when retired surveyor Elias Thorne discovers a pristine blue backpack—belonging to a missing eight‑year‑old—left like a calling card in the woods. Inside, an envelope bearing his name points to a buried secret: a shallow grave holding a decade‑old trophy from the town’s unsolved mayor disappearance, and a chilling promise that this is only the beginning.

As Sheriff Ben Miller races to decode the cryptic clues, the tranquil façade of Willow Creek crumbles, revealing a predator who has been waiting in the shadows for years. Every tick of a recovered pocket watch, every strand of blonde hair tied with a blue ribbon, pulls Elias and Ben deeper into a deadly game where the past refuses to stay buried and the next victim could be anyone they love. Will they uncover the killer before the mountain’s silence becomes a tomb for the whole town?