A random overnight visit to a quiet prairie town turns deadly for Inspector Hilary Casgrain.

Instead of starry skies, a home-cooked meal, and an evening at a Cowboy Poetry Festival, Hilary is dragged into a drive-by shooting and the search for a missing teen - a night that rages out of control and ends in a killing.

She’s driving across the continent to a new job, in search of a fresh start and a quiet cruise towards retirement. But in the town of Aspen Creek, she gets a taste of small-town policing at its most intense.

The Aspen Creek chief asks for her help and Hilary sees first-hand his struggles with limited resources, and a crime as ruthless as any she encountered in her 20 years of city policing.

At the same time, she’s drawn to the close bonds and staunch support shared by the handful of Aspen Creek officers. Can she forge those kind of relationships at her new post? Can she shake off the shadows of the past and become a leader to admire?

These thoughts and worries are fleeting, however. The clock is ticking and lives hang in the balance.

Dive into this prequel novella and get a glimpse into a sensational new crime series featuring Inspector Hilary Casgrain. Watch for book 1, Murder At Elk Ridge, in late spring 2023!