Book excerpt: The townspeople of Willster are shocked when their mayor is murdered. When the suspected killer is arrested, he tries to hire his Gen Z niece, Denise, as his defense investigator. But Denise has her own problems. Her cheating ex-boyfriend terminated her law internship, causing her to drop out of law school. Despondent, Denise drives to Willster to see her eccentric grandmother. Grandma convinces Denise to use her clever law school skills to investigate her uncle's murder case. A second story unfolds during the 1849 Gold Rush. Padre Felix, a young Catholic Priest, chances upon two murdered men and their secret that puts his life in jeopardy. To keep from being killed and to prevent the destruction of the Catholic Mission, the padre devises a scheme to keep the secret hidden until law and order comes to California. Back in the present day, suspects are plentiful, but Denise’s investigation takes a twist when someone illegally digs up Padre Felix’s grave. Denise deciphers a cryptic message carved into the gravestone that leads her on a trail of clues planted by the padre. After someone tries to kill her, it validates her suspicion that the padre’s secret is the motive for the mayor’s murder.