Cutting Season

Just after dawn, Caren supervises the grounds of Belle Vie, a historic plantation house she manages. When a gardener rings with alarming news, she discovers a young woman lying face down in a shallow grave, throat cut. The incident guarantees police questions, informs a grieving family, and upends the quiet routine of a site that also hosts a school visit. With a six-foot fence and only so many entrances and keys, danger feels close at hand. Caren lives on site with her daughter, pondering how much risk they confront as secrets from Belle Vie’s past begin to surface. This taut thriller blends cripping mystery with a powerful meditation on history, memory, and what a community will do to protect its stories.

The mystery is rooted in Belle Vie itself, where every corridor, locked gate, and closed room could hide a clue. Donovan, a staff member who has vanished, adds another layer of tension, while the presence of a school group on the way to visit heightens the stakes for what must be kept safe and what must be revealed.

• Protagonist: Caren manages Belle Vie and lives on site
• Dawn discovery: a woman found in a shallow grave
• Police involvement and family informed
• School group arrives during investigation
• Missing staff member: Donovan
• Limited access: six-foot fence, few entry points

Kenmerken

• Spannende, moderne misdaad met historische thema’s
• Taut en meeslepend verhaal met hart en tempo
• Verhaallijn draait om geheimen uit het verleden
• Een hoofdpersonage dat persoonlijke risico’s overweegt