A journalist risks everything to solve two crimes, decades apart, set against the lush greenery and golden sands of a small beach town. With escalating danger, a slow-burn romance, and a touch of humor, this twisty read is BIG LITTLE LIES meets THE DRY—ideal for fans of Tana French, Jane Harper, and Liane Moriarty.

What happens when the past resurfaces … twenty years later?

On a hot summer night, fourteen-year-old Isla Joyson’s best friend vanishes from a beach cliff. The local police chief rules it a suicide, but Isla suspects otherwise—and is mercilessly bullied for speaking out.

Twenty years later, Isla’s once-brilliant career as an investigative journalist lies in ruins.

Desperate for redemption, she seizes a lead from an undercover cop about a dangerous drug ring ensnaring her parents. With the cop posing as her boyfriend, Isla returns home to save her family, reclaim her career, and face the ghosts of her past.

But as the investigation deepens, and the relationship with her “fake” boyfriend starts to feel very real, Isla discovers a chilling link between the drug ring and her friend’s disappearance. Now, it’s not just her reputation on the line—it’s her life.