the Lye in Cauldron

Iris Macon's quiet life of lye soap and intricate stitches is about to unravel. When her shovel unearths a Mason jar containing a perfectly preserved vintage wedding dress, she discovers it's not a treasure, but a chilling relic of a local legend: Sara Gibbons, the bride who supposedly jilted her groom and vanished from Hillside in 1996. But Iris, with her artisan's eye for detail, knows this isn't a simple case of abandonment. The dress, with its hidden label and faint bloodstain, tells a darker story. As she delves into Hillside's past, the cozy facade of her small town begins to crack, revealing a complex web of gossip, hidden motives, and long-held grudges among neighbors who thought their secrets were buried forever. Her quiet inquiries quickly stir a sinister attention, making her question who among the familiar faces can be trusted. The jilted groom, a wealthy politician, and even the former owner of Iris's own farmhouse all hold pieces of a puzzle that someone desperately wants to keep hidden. As Iris unearths truths that resonate with her own past, she must confront the dark undercurrents of her peaceful town. Can she expose a killer who has evaded capture for nearly thirty years, or will the secrets of Hillside bury her too?