Isla Poe has returned to Dalton, Montana to clean out her father’s cabin and set his things to right after his sudden death. She hasn’t been close to him in years, but has fond memories of visiting his cabin when she was a girl. A temporary job teaching math at the high school seems a good way to fill her days as she spends her weekends going through her father’s things. As she sorts through his things and gets to know the town, she finds she didn’t know a lot of things about her father’s recent past, and she also starts to realize that though it seems her father wanted her to find the gold he believes is hidden in the area, someone else doesn’t want her sifting through the clues.

Cosi Raynes grew up in Dalton and is now the sheriff. He has history here and knows all the town players. He is also intrigued by the new addition of Ilsa Poe after her father’s accidental death. But he also has his hands full raising his teenaged son on his own, made more difficult with the addition of his ex trying to get in contact for the first time in over a decade. When Ilsa repeatedly calls the sheriff’s office with reports of someone looking in her cabin at night, and then more sinister events occurring, Cosi would feel a lot more comfortable if Ilsa was closer to town for her safety.

It took some focus for me to stay in the 1983 time period, though that was a me thing. Parents just walking into the teacher’s classroom just isn’t done anymore and should have made it easier, so I’ll chalk that up to a me thing. But the time period was necessary to the plot as it added to the isolated elements to the lake cabin and the lack of instant connection via cell phones and social media. For that, it was a refreshing scene.

The story was filled with mystery elements, a treasure hunt, the threat of danger, and small town romance. Speaking of the romance, it sparked quickly with close proximity. But I loved watching Ilsa and Spencer build a relationship at the same time she navigated one with his father. Cosi’s teenaged son quickly became just as protective of Ilsa as his father. The mystery of the gold added an element of tension to the background that gave reasons for Ilsa to be in close proximity to the sheriff, but also made her cabin feel isolated and creepy.

The audio version was perfection. Connor Crais as Cosi had the perfect gravely timbre. Samantha Brentmoor gave Ilsa’s thoughts a gravity that fit her current situation and personality to a T.

This is the first in a new series from Devney Perry and though I don’t know exactly which direction the series will go, I always look forward to more from her!