Unstable Bonds

In Alderbrook, Vermont, winter keeps its secrets buried deep.

When a man is found dead in the snow beneath the birches, suspicion falls on Nate Lorimer, an organic chemistry professor whose quiet life is suddenly shattered by rumor, scrutiny, and fear.

In a town where everyone knows your name and no one forgets a scandal, it does not take long for suspicion to harden into judgment. As the case tightens around him, Nate becomes the focus of a murder investigation that feels increasingly personal. Detective Kline is determined to follow the evidence wherever it leads, but in Alderbrook, truth is slippery, and every answer seems to uncover something darker underneath. The deeper Kline digs, the more the town begins to fracture, exposing old loyalties, quiet resentments, and secrets that were never meant to surface. For Nate, the danger is no longer just being blamed for a murder he may not have committed. It is what the truth might reveal when it finally comes to light.

Because in Alderbrook, some things do not stay buried.