The last show was supposed to be a goodbye. Nobody planned on it being permanent.
Ren Murphy has been a fan of Redneck Dirty since she caught them at the Presidio in 2015. When Nat scores backstage passes, she finally gets to meet the band. The night ends before the encore.
In Durham, everyone loved the music. Nobody thought to listen to what it was actually saying.
She's investigated the murder of someone close to her before. But watching someone die in front of her brings back ghosts she's not ready to face. And ghosts don't wait for a case to close.
Deputy Sheriff Alex Young is working security when the night goes wrong. Detective Marc Bombard of the Vermont State Police Major Crimes Unit gets the call. He's seen enough of Ren Murphy to know she sees pieces others miss. This time he pulls her in before she invites herself. Between the two of them and Young, there's enough procedure to untangle what happened. If they can agree on what they're actually looking for.
Fatal Riff is the second book in The Durham Chronicles - a grounded, gritty mystery series set in the hills of northern Vermont, where the dead don't stay quiet and the living don't let go. For Ren Murphy, Durham was never part of the plan. Turns out plans are the first thing that doesn't survive contact with this town.