Book excerpt: Sometimes, the only way to return to life is to face death. Acclaimed New York writer Julia Jarvis is no stranger to crafting stories that leave readers, and publishers, wanting more. But after a sudden rise to the limelight with her bestselling novel Steelhouse, Julia just as quickly finds herself in the middle of a mid-life crisis. Her career and six-year relationship are on the rocks-not to mention being haunted by the gut-wrenching tragedies from a past she's desperately tried to forget. At the urging of her publisher, Julia returns to the one red-light town of Murdoch, Mississippi after twenty years. It was in Murdoch, the hometown of her late husband, Seth Dixon, where she got her start as a newspaper reporter. In a shocking twist of events, Julia found herself as a young writer covering the unsolved murder of high school student Allison Mercer. Then three months later, the murder of high school librarian Betty Ann Stark, wife of Murdoch's prominent mayor, stunned the sleepy town once more. But it's been the mysterious death of Julia's husband Seth that's haunted her the most. Now Julia wonders if she can piece together what really happened in Murdoch decades ago to write her next book-and save her own life.