Two years ago, in idyllic Carystown, Kentucky, nine-year-old Isabella Moon disappeared on her way home from school. Is it just coincidence that Kate Russell, a young woman with no discernible past, arrived in town just months before Isabella’s disappearance? When Kate walks into Sheriff Bill Delaney’s office to tell him that Isabella’s ghost has led her to the child’s hidden grave, he immediately views her as a suspect. Mystery follows mystery as a local athlete drops dead, inexplicably, on the basketball court, and someone close to Kate is viciously murdered.

The unsolved disappearance of Isabella Moon has been the biggest disappointment of Sheriff Delaney’s career. But he senses that Kate is trouble. As he investigates her impossible claims, he also uncovers a series of unsettling truths about Carystown itself. Behind his hometown’s genteel façade is a morass of lies and murder, drugs and destruction. And Carystown’s residents are about to discover that even though the past is buried, it can rise again–with a vengeance.

“Haunting . . . this mystery/thriller will simultaneously tug at the heartstrings and scare the bejesus out of readers. In a word: unforgettable.”

–Chicago Tribune

“An exquisite, closely observed novel that happens to be a great thriller. It captivated me instantly, and haunts me still.”

–Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Edge of Winter

“Like digging up an unmarked grave in the gloaming, Isabella Moon is a tense and creepy hunt for the truth about what lies beneath.”

–Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Black Out

“Incredible, fascinating, absorbing . . . The characters are full, the writing is superb, and the action is fast. . . . Read. This. Book.”

–The Roanoke Times

“Isabella Moon shines. . . . Benedict turns a brilliant spotlight on a small town’s angst, social structure and secrets.”

–South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“Don’t be surprised if this book keeps you up way past your bedtime.”

–Armchair Interviews

Laura Benedict’s short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and a number of anthologies. For the past decade she has worked as a freelance book reviewer for The Grand Rapids Press in Michigan and other newspapers. She lives in southern Illinois, with her husband, Pinckney Benedict, and their two children. Isabella Moon is her first novel.

From the Hardcover edition.