Holly

In a pandemic-stricken Dayton, Ohio, private investigator Holly Gibney accepts a missing person case involving Penny Dahl’s adult daughter. The investigation leads to Rodney and Emily Harris, two octogenarian professors living in a quiet suburban home. Behind their respectable academic facade, the couple harbors a basement laboratory where they practice ritualistic cannibalism. They kidnap younger victims, believing that consuming human brains and organs will cure their elderly ailments and reverse the onset of dementia and paralysis. Holly must navigate her own grief and isolation to uncover their routine of suburban horror.

This book serves readers who value character-driven detective fiction with a focus on procedural detail and psychological tension. It appeals to those interested in the crossover between realistic crime and the macabre, specifically how human malice can hide behind social status. Readers learn how a protagonist manages professional obligations during a public health crisis while grappling with complex family trauma. They walk away with a stark portrayal of aging, the fear of mortality, and the persistence required to solve cold cases.