John Simons has built his career on facts. As a crime reporter in a city rattled by violence, he knows how to separate rumor from evidence and truth from noise.

Then the noise begins to acknowledge him.

A man in a dark hat starts appearing at the edges of John’s life. Taps in the wall sound like messages meant only for him. His boss Anna So’s smallest habits take on a terrible new meaning. As bodies surface across the East Side, John begins to fear he isn’t just chasing the story anymore.

He’s slipping inside it.

As dread hardens into obsession, John follows connections no one else can see, descending deeper into a reality that grows more intimate and menacing with every step. The closer he gets to the truth, the less he can trust his own mind or the people trying to pull him back.

If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts, murder mysteries, Southern Gothic vibes, and authentic queer representation, then check out Todd Brown's debut thriller When Shadows Burn (Koehler Books, Oct 14, 2025). When true crime podcaster, Timothy Michaels, returns to his rural Virginia hometown and hears there were some mysterious disappearances in town. At the center of the crimes is a suspicious mansion, dark and brooding. Timothy searches for the kidnapper–only to find a much darker monster lurking among its residents.