Scarred by Sin (Touch of Evil #15)

Prepare for long-buried secrets to claw their way into the light in the latest Touch of Evil novel by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

A quiet Indiana town is shaken to its core when a landscaping crew clearing the overgrown Ellingham estate uncovers human remains scattered in pots and garden beds throughout a crumbling greenhouse. Reclusive Gwenyth Ellingham has lived alone on the property for years, socially withdrawn, prone to strange episodes, and unable to manage her affairs. When her aging uncle petitions for guardianship to settle years of unpaid taxes and clear the land for sale, the ground finally gives up its secrets.

Forensics discover eight sets of bones. Seven belong to young women who vanished nearly thirty years ago. The eighth, buried deeper, belongs to Gwenyth’s father, botanist Nestor Ellingham, who disappeared during the same period.

FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane and her team take over the cold case, revealing an unsettling pattern. The killer had complete access to the property, moved through the grounds with familiarity, and used the greenhouse as a personal graveyard. But Nestor’s presence among the victims raises a terrifying question. Was he the predator who got what he deserved, or was he killed because he discovered the horrifying truth hidden in his own soil?

The Ellingham family’s past is filled with conflicting stories, fractured relationships, and a daughter whose memories are clouded by trauma or mental illness. Brook and her team must determine whether the monster who created this graveyard is long dead…or still lurking in the shadows of a place where fear took root decades ago.