The Burden of Silence

The smallest town can hide the biggest secret. After Jane Stoneman is killed in broad daylight on a dusty street, those who witness her death scatter to their homes without a word. Such things happen in Hollow Valley. Jane’s brother, Jack, returns to the small Missouri town after a six-year absence and tries to piece together the mystery of her death by following clues she left behind for him. To complicate matters, Jack must seek help from the one woman he’s made a habit of hating—his firecracker of an ex, Tessa Thornstead. Jack and Tessa launch a grassroots investigation that stirs up the close-knit town steeped in the shadow and folklore of the Ozark Mountains. In a place where folks can be as gritty as the rugged landscape, Jack and Tessa find themselves stonewalled by tight-lipped witnesses afraid of admitting what they’ve seen and what they suspect is happening in the mountains. As they pursue Jane’s clues, they discover she may have stumbled upon a terrible secret that has ravaged the town and will keep claiming more lives if they don’t stop it. As they grasp the cost of uncovering the truth in a place mired in bonds of silence, Jack and Tessa must wrestle with their own demons and fight for the lives of those they love.