Book excerpt: In 1980, serial killer Joseph Parrish was killed in a raid by local authorities and his bizarre world uncovered. Now, Russell Kenyon has come to do a segment on Parrish for his show, Spooky History, hoping the report will be his show's saving grace. With a new victim missing, talk of Parrish's curse has spread through town. Russ quickly finds himself involved in the case, finding the body bound and dissected in Parrish's fashion. Russ changes his direction, hoping to catch the killer for his show. He feels protected in the town where people vanish, feeling invited by the killer. Yet, he also feels watched. He is haunted by the scarecrow that guards Parrish's land. Russ finds few allies in town, working against the local sheriff and a town spooked by a legend. His attraction to the chief deputy, Jared Hatcher, a young man with eyes of an angel, takes him by surprise. It quickly becomes clear it's not a copycat killer. Russ must protect the ones he loves, the town he's grown fond of, and uncover the mystery of the deadly scarecrow's kiss before he finds himself suffering a fate worse than death.