A Riddle in the Lonesome October

How do you survive a season of fear?

October is a hard month for Rae Riley's family. Her dad, Sheriff Walter "Mal" Malinowski lost his wife and father then. This year, the Malinowskis confront even more heartache.

Rae's Uncle Hank fights for his life after his stallion falls on him. Twelve-year-old Coral says a monster spooked her dad's stallion. His other daughter, Amber, is convinced she let everyone down during the effort to rescue Hank because she became hysterical.

During this crisis, Rae's friendship with Deputy Chris Kincaid turns into something more. A family feud erupts at a local Halloween attraction, The Haunting in the Hollow, staged on land once owned by Cyrus Morley, a wealthy dabbler in the occult. He hid a fortune in cash and jewels with the only clues a three-word note and the poem "Eldorado" by Edgar Allen Poe.

Rae and Amber work to unravel the 70-year-old riddle so their great aunt Lily and her kids can inherit a fortune. But other heirs are interested and Lily's son Jack would never share anything he finds.

The story of Coral's monster brings a bigfoot hunter to the county who ignores private property laws. Rae fears for Amber, who keeps putting her safety at risk to prove her courage, like confronting Jack when he fights with his ex-girlfriend, sketchy medium Lyra Vex.

Then Cyrus's only living child, Timothy Morley, hires Lyra to conduct a séance to contact his father and reveal the location of the treasure. When Lyra uncovers a second clue, it looks like Rae and Amber's treasure hunt is over.

But the day after the séance, Lyra is found dead. Did one of the heirs kill her? Or was it her jealous ex-boyfriend Jack? As Mal's investigation goes nowhere, Rae learns there's only way one way to survive all the fears the family faces. And only one way to unmask a killer.

© 2025 Mt. Zion Ridge Press (Audiobook): 9781962862875

Release date

Audiobook: 24 September 2025