Roasted Deceit

Some secrets stay buried for fifteen years. Some demand to be uncovered.

When Melody Beniot returns home from college for winter break, she brings more than dirty laundry. Her forensic science project has reopened a cold case that someone in Prairie Rose desperately wanted to stay closed.

Fifteen years ago, environmental engineer Bobby Pritchard was murdered the night before he was scheduled to testify about illegal dumping that poisoned the local water supply. His death was ruled accidental. His evidence disappeared. And everyone who knew the truth stayed silent.

Now Melody's investigation has connected Bobby's murder to a conspiracy involving wealthy investors, a corrupt former sheriff, and a cover-up that cost innocent lives. But as the sisters dig deeper into Prairie Rose's darkest secret, witnesses start dying again, and the people responsible will do anything to protect their legacy of lies.

With Christmas approaching and Jackie's estranged sons arriving for an unexpected reunion, the family faces threats from all sides. A killer is eliminating anyone who can testify, and Melody has made herself the biggest target of all.

As the investigation races toward a deadly confrontation, the women must decide how much they're willing to risk for a man who died protecting his community. Because in Prairie Rose, some truths have been buried so long that digging them up might destroy everything.

Justice delayed. Revenge unleashed. Family redefined.

The fifth installment in the Burnt Ends Mystery series brings the heat with a cold case that refuses to stay cold, a family learning that it's never too late for second chances, and a Christmas none of them will ever forget.