Murder Is the Clue

Fifteen years ago, the Arriaga Winery was the site of a chilling tragedy: the murder of Jacob Arriaga, allegedly at the hands of his six-year-old stepson, Bradley "Bug" Barringer. Now, as the family matriarch Cora prepares to wed a man she barely knows and sell the historic estate, the past returns to haunt the present.

RJ Barringer, a photographer with a penchant for the paranormal, returns to his childhood home for the wedding, bringing along his girlfriend, true-crime reporter Tori Younger. The homecoming takes a sharp turn when RJ's sister, Holly, orchestrates the sudden discharge of Bug from a psychiatric institution, using him as a pawn to halt the winery's sale. Tori, struggling with her own career and financial setbacks, quickly realizes that the official story of Jacob’s death—a child stabbing a grown man in a locked wine cellar—is riddled with inconsistencies.

As the wedding rehearsal unfolds amidst family tension and the arrival of an obsessive figure from RJ's past, Tori begins an unauthorized investigation into the decade-old murder. Between the rattling doors of the dark cellar and the secrets held by the Barringer siblings, she must decide how much she is willing to risk—including RJ's trust—to uncover the truth. In this house of shadows, some secrets are best left buried, while others are ready to strike again.

by JC Gatlin
Page Count: 274
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: June 30, 2026
Imprint: Milford House
Genre: Mystery

FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Amateur Sleuth
FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths
FICTION / Thriller / Suspense