A Step Past Darkness By Vera Kurian

In the seemingly tranquil town of Wesley Falls, a dark secret lurks beneath the surface, hidden beneath the façade of suburban normalcy. The summer of 1995 ignites with a party in the depths of an abandoned coal mine, where six high school students bear witness to a chilling crime that irrevocably alters the trajectory of their lives.

Each of the six teenagers is a study in contrast, embodying disparate facets of Wesley Falls' social fabric. From Maddy, the devout churchgoer, to James, the disillusioned rebel, they form an unlikely alliance bound by a shared trauma. As suspicions mount and trust erodes, they embark on a clandestine investigation, recognizing that their only allies are each other.

With tensions simmering and secrets festering, the group takes a solemn oath of silence, burying their evidence and severing ties to protect themselves. Yet, two decades later, Jia disrupts their carefully constructed silence with a summons back to Wesley Falls. Maddy's murder propels them into a harrowing journey of unraveling the truth, confronting long-buried demons, and revisiting the mine where it all began.

As they navigate the labyrinthine twists of the past, the group grapples with their fractured relationships and unhealed wounds. With Jia's call as their catalyst, they confront the shadows of their shared history, knowing that closure lies within the heart of the mine, where the echoes of their past deeds reverberate.

In this riveting tale of redemption and reckoning, the six classmates confront the specter of their collective past, forging a path toward resolution even as the darkness threatens to consume them once more. 📚❤️