Detective Parrott is awoken in the middle of the night and sent to the site of an explosion and fire in a defunct barn on the estate of an elderly past TV host celebrity in Brandywine Valley. The initial evidence seems to indicate the fire was caused by a secretive illicit meth lab that went wrong, but when forensic evidence on the remains of the body found in the rubble determines the individual was dead before the explosion, the case turns into an investigation into a murder and the plot to cover it up with the phony meth lab. Parrott empathetically investigates, slowly uncovering family secrets and community issues to uncover suspects, solve the case, and stop additional murders, all while dealing with his loving wife’s PTSD from her army days. While there is not an unexpected twist to the mystery, the storyline is an expertly drawn police procedural mystery that not only engages readers into the subtle questioning, forensics, research and moments of action to uncover the secrets and details to solve the mystery, but also allows readers to connect with strong and vulnerable characters involved in the case, including Claire, the elderly celebrity owner of the estate, with her daughters, personal assistant, and neighboring estate owner. The mystery and character interaction was superb. ( )