The Casselman River is running high when a young girl tells Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Jim Duncan about seeing a man's body in the water.  But when a second man is found severely injured, it's too much of a coincidence.  Mike Brower and Carl Ritchie had been avid fishermen and members of an environmental group at odds with a nearby quarry operation run by Laurel Mountain Quarrying.   After tangling with prickly Corporal Travers, Jim gets to satisfy his curiosity when he is invited to join the official investigation.  

Assistant Public Defender Sally Castle is approached by Angela Stewart, an abused woman accused of murdering her husband Ryan who also worked for Lauren Mountain Quarrying.  Although Sally cannot take her case due to jurisdictional rules, she invited former law classmate Kim Dunphy to lead Angela's defense while helping unofficially helping from the sidelines.

The two cases link together, forcing Jim and Sally to decide which side to take as they both work on finding enough evidence to stop a killer.  The story ends with both Jim and Sally making decisions about the future of their respective career directions.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Level Best Books with no requirements for a review.  I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I was quite transfixed with the book from the very first page!  The author sets up a story with vivid characters and a spectacular setting to match it!  I have spent time in the area so really enjoyed many of the colloquial references.   This is a intriguing mystery with clues around every corner but does keep you wondering as to what the outcome will be!  I look forward to more of this series and author's work.

Sally and Duncan team up on to solve another murder while juggling their day jobs and their relationship.  I liked how both main characters were confronted with questions about their professional futures...I like a good cozy series but can get frustrated when the characters never to seem to change or have to deal with real life issues.  Interesting plotlines with enough twists to keep you reading.

Thanks to Level Best Books for providing access to a digital archive on Netgalley.com.