Publisher's Synopsis
Beyond the Silent Grove is a spellbinding supernatural crime thriller set in the eerie, ever-mysterious town of Cedar Hollow. In the wake of a long-forgotten curse that once gripped the coastal community through the malevolent influence of the watchers, Detective Gideon "Gid" Crowe finds himself drawn back into a world where ancient legends merge with modern mysteries-this time through the reemergence of an antique cameo locket that once belonged to his lost fiancée, Natalie.
When the locket inexplicably appears in the possession of a young woman plagued by relentless nightmares of a dilapidated inland church, its intricate gold filigree and cryptic inscriptions hint at secrets older than the watchers' doom. The locket, imbued with an eerie glow, seems to channel not only Natalie's lingering sorrow but also a forgotten vow of a lost, exiled sect. As Layla Winters, the troubled new caretaker of the cameo, recounts vivid dreams of rotting pews, broken stained glass, and ghostly chants echoing through dense, towering pines, Gid is forced to confront a terrifying possibility: that the locket is the "Weeping Key" to a sorrow-based curse, one that thrives on heartbreak and promises blood and release.
Desperate to stop a new supernatural threat from taking hold, Gid embarks on a relentless investigation that takes him deep into Cedar Hollow's inland forests. With the town's leadership in disarray-Mayor Fincher remains in jail and an interim council struggles to maintain order-Cedar Hollow is vulnerable to those who would exploit its haunted legacy. As entrepreneurs and shady developers vie for power amid mounting public anxiety, Gid finds himself the de facto problem-solver. He must forge uneasy alliances with loyal figures like Chief Linda Porter, whose own grit and determination hold the fractured police force together, and Jonas Winters, the resourceful librarian determined to bring closure to a community scarred by past horrors.
Digging through dusty diaries, unfiled historical records, and bitter remembrances of a once-prosperous town, Gid uncovers cryptic diary entries from an ancestor that speak of a second, sorrow-laden vow-distinct from the watchers' curse and rooted in an even older, secret pact among a dissident congregation. As the clues begin to fit together, Gid realizes that the antique cameo, reawakened by Natalie's unresolved grief, is not just an heirloom but a dangerous conduit for a forgotten supernatural force. This ancient pact, built on sorrow and penance, now threatens to claim a new sacrifice: the young woman whose nightmares have grown unbearable.
With tensions mounting and the specter of public panic rising due to unchecked media reports and persistent gossip, Gid must race against time to unravel the mystery before the cultists complete a final, deadly ritual in the subterranean vault of an abandoned church. In a battle that will test his ability to accept his past while forging a new future, Gid confronts the very essence of heartbreak-vowing to keep Natalie's memory alive without letting her sorrow be used as a weapon against him or his town.
Beyond the Silent Grove challenges the boundaries between love and loss, legacy and the supernatural. It's a journey into a world where ancient curses reawaken, and the only hope for redemption lies in transforming grief into strength. Step into Cedar Hollow and experience a tale where every shadow hides a secret, every relic holds a story, and no heart is too broken to heal.
