Melting Point

When Maverick and August accept the job at the old winery in California, they assume it’ll be just like all the others, even if it is wildfire season – a mystery that isn’t much of a mystery after you give Death a chance to explain itself.

They’re wrong.

Obviously.

Since 1966, twenty-nine dead bodies have been found at the now-defunct winery; the rumors about how they got there range from patently, predictably absurd to downright chilling. It could be a serial killer, like the cops and the amateur detectives and the true crime enthusiasts all seem to think it is, or it could be something worse. Something darker. Something less natural, less human—less likely, as far as Maverick and August are concerned.

They’re wrong about that, too.

Meanwhile, August is actually trying to start that fake ghost-hunting YouTube channel for reasons that don’t quite make sense, and Charlie’s past connection to Nicholas Parrish is being yanked, kicking and flailing and screaming, right back into the spotlight, still just the slightest bit out of focus, and Maverick finally—finally—has a secret of his own.

Blood, though.

Blood is thicker than water, and it tends to leave a stain behind once its dry.

How deep should you have to dig to find the roots in your family tree? Six feet? Like a grave?

sample | sequel to Gravediggers and Breathe Underwater