Cold Sermon

Fifty people gathered in a locked church. One man didn't leave. And an entire town kept the secret for thirteen years. True-crime podcaster Nell Fairfax arrives in the sprawling, quiet community of Darrow County to investigate a cold case: the 2011 disappearance of Pastor Everett Slade. Officially, Slade fled after embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his own congregation. But as Nell begins recording interviews, she notices a terrifying pattern. Every witness tells the exact same story, down to the exact rhythm of their pauses. The truth is far darker than a simple theft. Nell's investigation reveals a chilling conspiracy orchestrated by a charismatic deacon who framed the pastor, manipulated the congregation into turning against him, and ultimately silenced him forever. The evidence lies buried beneath a freshly poured slab of concrete in the church parking lot. Now, sleeping in the guest room of the very man who orchestrated the murder, Nell must navigate a dangerous web of small-town paranoia. With threats escalating and the town's collective silence finally cracking, Nell is racing to expose a lie that has held an entire community hostage. Will she unearth the truth of the cold sermon before the town decides to silence her too?