Scott A. Reighard

Death in the Valley Scott A. Reighard

Death in the Valley is the second installment for main character Andrew Keane. In this story, Andrew leads the Roanoke County Police Homicide team to search for a killer who has employed the services of high school kids to do his dirty work while remaining in the background as their mysterious cult leader. For Andrew and newly hired detective and partner, JC Whitt, high profile movers and shakers, in the otherwise quiet Roanoke community, are being killed and branded.

The case for Andrew goes from difficult to nearly impossible as his personal life takes a turn downward. Dealing with family issues, a new partner, a family health crisis, and a hot shot reporter with an agenda, the tangled web of events are all somehow inter-related. With little going right for Andrew and his new partner, the Captain decides to take the investigation in a new direction completely undermining Andrew and his efforts. But despite the humble pie he is delivered, Andrew stays persistent and he and his partner continue the investigation only to discover that politicians and school board members have a friendly "working relationship" that seemingly deepens and further muddies the investigation. Andrew consults with an unlikely source straining his already strained relationship with his new partner.

The source comes through, but just when Andrew and JC feel they have an angle, the killer throws a monkey in the wrench and their investigation teeters on going cold. When victim number three shows up, the media and more notably the County Board of Supervisors are ready to start firing "the incompetent" division of Roanoke County detectives. But an anonymous phone tip puts Andrew and JC on a track that could potentially lead them to the killer and the cult group behind the killings. The ending is a race against time as another victim is the target of the killer's vengeance. With time running out, Andrew and JC take a gamble and apply the pressure with hopes to close the case before more people get killed, or they get fired.