A suffocating Southern thriller from an award-winning author. The next unputdownable read for fans of Stacy Willingham and Noelle W. Ihli.

She left Chokoloskee Island behind years ago. The Everglades isn’t done with her yet.

Cameron St. Rose was five when her mother disappeared into the mangroves without a trace. Growing up the daughter of one of the island’s founding families, she always knew that asking questions was more dangerous than not knowing.

Now a manager at a luxury spa on Florida’s glittering coast, Cameron has built a life far from the swamp and its secrets. But when a tropical storm washes human remains out of the black water, she’s compelled to return home.

Catching up with her childhood best friend, Michaela, being served drinks by her ex, then going home to an empty house—it’s a bittersweet homecoming. And then Michaela vanishes. Cameron knows what Chokoloskee looks like when it’s hiding something: she can hear it in the conversations which stop when she walks into a room, and the way the whole island closes ranks around a silence she was raised never to break.

But Cameron isn’t a little girl anymore. And she’ll drag every secret out of the mud and the mangroves to find her friend—even the one about her mother.

Perfect for readers who love:

- Return-to-her-hometown thrillers

- Small town with dark secrets

- Everyone is a suspect

- Tragedy in the past meets mystery in the present

- Atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere

- The past won’t stay drowned

- Compelling heroine with a tragic backstory

Readers love S.E. Reed’s gripping thrillers:

“Such a wild ride!!! I could not put this book down!!! It was utterly fantastic!!! 5/5 stars without hesitation!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“So good. I absolutely devoured this in a day. I thought I could see the end coming but not at all… I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Such a fun read.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A brilliant read that hooked me from the outset I couldn’t tear myself away! The plot was truly exceptional!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“An amazing read! From the very start I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. The story pulled me in right away and kept me turning the pages until the very end. I honestly hated for it to end because I was enjoying it so much… An absolute must-read!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐