A small town cop finds himself at a low point-with no resources or support, he dives into a decades old cold case as a civilian and uncovers far more than he bargained for...

"A big thriller with an even bigger heart!" - Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author

"Equal parts compelling mystery and riveting family drama...I'd follow its hero, Deputy Ben Packard, anywhere." - Jess Lourey, Edgar-nominated author of The Taken Ones

It's time to put the past to rest...

Ben Packard was just a boy when his older brother disappeared. Ben watched him walk out the back door of their grandparents' house and into the cold night.

His brother was never seen again.

Decades later, Deputy Packard finds himself with too much time on his hands. A shooting has him on leave and under investigation, and all he can do is dwell on the past. For the first time in years, new information about his brother has surfaced that may lead them to the location of a body.

The midwinter ground is frozen solid. Worse, Packard is cut off from department resources. As he strikes out to finally uncover the truth behind his brother's disappearance, he stumbles on a separate, suspicious death. A tenuous connection exists between the two cases, and as Packard starts to dig, he meets fierce resistance from friends and foes alike who want him to stand down.

The winter is long and cold. By the end of it, Packard will risk everything to catch a killer and reveal the shocking truth about his brother.