The Bluegrass Casefiles

When a predawn fire sweeps through the abandoned Rowan Glassworks in Rowan's Trace, Kentucky, firefighters discover a body seated inside an old furnace chamber, enclosed beneath layers of glass. The unsettling scene appears to tell its own story-but Detective Bonnie Hale knows appearances can conceal the most important evidence.

Working with forensic pathologist Dr. Kaitlyn Massey, coroner Madison Williams, and fire chief Arabella Sims, Bonnie begins separating what happened before the blaze from what the fire changed. Suspicion initially centers on the disappearance of former factory supervisor Ellis Rowan, who had been questioning discrepancies in the glassworks' closing inventory. When Ellis is found alive, the investigation takes a disturbing turn: the victim is Thomas Arden, an exhibit installer who refused to authorize the removal of disputed property.

At the center of the case lies R-17, an anniversary presentation belonging to a civic trust. Its glass enclosure, model furnace, and historical register have been separated, while altered paperwork makes a temporary loan appear to authorize a private sale. Thomas and Ellis both challenged the missing authority-and someone was determined to obtain the signatures they withheld.

Following conflicting accounts, two nearly identical trucks, and a register that traveled without its display, Bonnie uncovers a chain of deception involving broker Adrian Kells and transport contractor Leon Dace. Yet proving a fraudulent transaction is not the same as proving murder, and the fire may have served a purpose separate from the killing.

As local investigators and federal specialists assemble the evidence, Bonnie must resist the town's hunger for an easy answer. Beneath the damaged glass lies not one simple crime, but intersecting acts of concealment-and a man whose insistence on doing his job honestly cost him his life.