The Dead Come to Stay: A Novel

An amateur autistic sleuth. A wry English detective. A murder case that thrusts them both into the wealthy world of the rare artifacts trade…

Jo Jones can't seem to catch a break. Trading in city life for the cozy, peaceful hills of the English countryside to take over her family estate should have been a chance for a “fresh start.” Instead, she's been driven further into the past than she thought possible—and not just her own. The estate is littered with traces of ancestors that Jo never knew existed, including a mysterious woman depicted in a half-destroyed painting. Then there’s the gossipy town politics Jo must constantly navigate as a neurodivergent transplanted American… And of course, the whole murder business.

When prickly town detective James MacAdams discovers a body in the moors with coincidental ties to Jo Jones, they're forced to team up on the case. The clues will lead them into the wealthiest locales of Yorkshire, from sparkling glass hotels to luxury property sites to elite country clubs.

But below the glittering surfaces, Jo and MacAdams discover darker schemes brewing. Local teens, many of them international refugees, are disappearing left and right. What begins as a bizarre murder case quickly plunges them both into the world of rare artifacts and antique trading…and a murderer who will do anything to cover it up.

© 2025 Harlequin Audio (Audiobook): 9781488234873

Release date

Audiobook: 5 August 2025