When a violent storm slams into the remote coastal town of Port Carnarvon, a woman is struck on a dark road—and vanishes before help arrives. Hours later, her body disappears from the morgue. And a newborn baby is found hidden near the crash site.
Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock, desperate for a quieter life with her two children, is immediately pulled into a case that defies logic. As rising floodwaters cut off the town, she uncovers a terrifying possibility: the victim, Marla Keene, escaped from a secret birthing centre—and someone wanted her silenced.
When Sheriff Jenna Alton warns that a sadistic serial killer known as The Ragman may be trapped in town with them, panic spreads. The storm is closing roads, communication lines, and escape routes. And families with secrets—especially the Buckmans—are crumbling under pressure.
Teenager Evan Buckman knows more than he is allowed to say. His father, Jake, is hiding a truth that could destroy them. And Jake’s missing wife, Julia, is somehow tied to Marla’s final desperate journey.
As the storm reaches its peak, Gemma and Jenna uncover a hidden network of tunnels beneath the lighthouse and abandoned pier—passageways the Ragman uses to stalk his victims unseen. There, in the flooded darkness, waits the twisted truth about Julia, Marla, and the baby born in secret.
When the Ragman strikes, the town erupts into a fight for survival. And the final clue—the one that will save Julia—comes from the most unlikely place: the lighthouse beam flashing a coded message through the storm.
Fast-paced, atmospheric, and filled with shocking twists, this coastal crime thriller explores buried lies, fractured families, and the desperate strength of women who will do anything to protect each other. Perfect for fans of gripping small-town mysteries with a serial-killer edge.
