Publisher's Synopsis
Newly promoted Police Chief Jennifer Hunt could never have imagined that her move from Atlanta to take over the small, rural police department in Echo Ridge would unravel a complex web of lies and corruption underpinning the town leadership. After a tense welcome from icy Mayor Calhoun that left Hunt uneasy about the local powers-that-be, her first case quickly presents itself when a distraught local girl named Gracie pleads for Hunt to reexamine the murder conviction of her boyfriend Emmett, jailed for supposedly killing his own police officer father.
Hunt's investigator instincts immediately heighten when she reviews the case file to find Emmett was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence and supposed blood splatter matching the father found in Emmett's bedroom. But the reports have troubling gaps - no photos documenting critical evidence like the blood samples or boot prints, an alternative eyewitness statement providing Emmett an alibi that doesn't align with the alleged timeline. She tries questioning head detective Jasper Dent only to face ominous resistance justifying bending protocols to convict the "obvious" suspect. Things escalate when Hunt visits a defiant Emmett in prison, who insists the town always had it out for his family and that he was framed. His mother was also killed just a week prior in a mysterious hit and run authorities never solved but Emmett believes was connected. When his long-time girlfriend Gracie shares information revealing bitter feuds between Emmett's dad Pastor Cooper and several powerful town figures over missing church funds, the intricate web enclosing Emmett through evidence manipulation surfaces. Hunt realizes Emmett was likely railroaded by the former sheriff and mayor's office to end scrutiny over finances and political rivalries Pastor Cooper's honesty threatened exposing at the top. But she faces increasing hostility from Deputy Beckett, Detective Dent and Mayor Calhoun herself trying to reveal the conspiracy. When local diner owner Ruby emerges as an unlikely ally believing Emmett is innocent, she implores Hunt to solve the case fast before her terminal cancer kills her, striking at Hunt's conscience over fighting corruption against the clock as Ruby's prognosis declines rapidly. Refusing to back down despite bribes and threats, Hunt slowly pieces together signs that whoever staged Emmett's conviction is still at large in Echo Ridge. Lurking bitter secrets yet to emerge around those abusing power and just how far they'll go to bury the dark truth. She becomes locked in a deadly race unmasking the sin haunting this town before her star witness slips away or ominous forces make Hunt their next target permanently silencing her defiant pursuit of justice...
