Some secrets are buried for a reason… but in a small town, nothing stays hidden forever.

When a longtime resident is found dead near an abandoned barn on the edge of town, the quiet rhythm of village life is shattered. The timing couldn’t be worse, tensions are already high after a heated meeting over land development, and no one seems eager to ask the questions that matter.

Fiona Byrne knows better.

As a local shopkeeper, she’s used to hearing more than people intend to say, and noticing what they leave out. But this time, the silence feels deliberate. Conversations cut short. Alibis that don’t quite hold. A missing property deed that no one wants to explain. And a local official who seems far too eager to close the case before it begins.

With her loyal rescue dog by her side, Fiona begins to piece together what the town is trying to ignore. What she uncovers is a tangled web of old grudges, quiet deals, and favors traded over decades, where land isn’t just property, but legacy… and betrayal runs deeper than anyone wants to admit.

But in a place where everyone is connected, the truth comes at a cost.

Because someone close to home is protecting the killer, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the past buried.

Perfect for fans of small-town cozy mysteries, Rural Secrets is the second installment in the Fiona Byrne Village Mysteries, a warm, atmospheric whodunit filled with community intrigue, clever clues, and a determined amateur sleuth who knows that sometimes, the most dangerous secrets are the ones everyone shares.