LIES ON THE SERPENT'S TONGUE
Rowan James and her sisters, born with magical gifts, live in Caball Hollow, West Virginia, where the townspeople treat them with a mixture of awe and suspicion. Rowan has a special ability to smell lies, so she becomes confused when she can’t detect dishonesty where she expects to find it. This discovery leads her to realize that people in town are losing not only personal belongings but also their memories. While staying in a remote cabin and volunteering with the Forest Service at a fire lookout tower, Rowan is stunned when Hadrian Fitch, the farmhand who worked for her family and vanished weeks earlier, reappears on her doorstep, unconscious and bleeding. As more strange occurrences unfold—including a death tied to the mysterious events sweeping through town—Rowan finds herself at the heart of an escalating mystery. Her investigation grows increasingly dangerous as startling secrets come to light, and she must determine who in Caball Hollow can be trusted: Hadrian, a group of paranormal YouTubers, or even her own family members. This gothic Appalachian mystery works as a stand-alone but weaves together complex characters and storylines from 2023’s Bittersweet in the Hollow. The plot is intricately crafted, with key information held back until the novel’s explosive conclusion. The pacing is steady yet filled with tension, ensuring that each revelation lands with an impact. The main characters are cued white.
