Ghost in the Graveyard

A sacred cemetery desecrated. A stolen Purple Heart. And a web of dark family secrets America's oldest city tried to bury. Former cop turned private investigator Angel Hammond thinks she has seen every brand of grit St. Augustine has to offer. But when a series of midnight grave robberies strikes Cloister Garden Cemetery at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Angel is dragged into a quiet, high-stakes investigation. She must retrieve the items and protect the grieving families before the story hits the press, exposing them and their ancestors to further exploitation. Armed with an eager true-crime podcaster, Jamie Richards Burton, and a court-ordered IT sidekick—Silicon Valley tech bro Alex Carpenter, doing community service for his past evidence-tampering—Angel digs into the clues left at the scene. A bloody thumbprint on a marble cross, a discarded bubble gum wrapper, and a snagged thread all point to a sloppy crew of three local thieves. But the case takes a bizarre turn when a mysterious woman in military fatigues returns a stolen Purple Heart to a veteran's grave. When this mystery woman ends up looking exactly like Jordan—Angel's dead ex-partner—a key piece in a dangerous puzzle involving wealthy local crime lord Miguel Enriquez drops into place, pulling a painful cold case back to the forefront. As Angel and her loyal Sheepadoodle, Brooklyn, follow the clues from the cemetery gates to a high-stakes, aquarium-lined underground auction hallway, they run headfirst into deep-seated family vendettas and shocking bloodlines. Someone is rewriting local history, and they'll cross any line to keep their family secrets in the dark. If Angel can't unmask the true mastermind behind the desecrations, the next grave dug in the Ancient City might very well be her own. Themes include: Veterans, PTSD, Mental Health, Unhoused/Homelessness, and Community Service. The past never stays buried for long. Click "Buy Now" to continue the gripping, high-stakes Angel Hammond Private Investigator Mystery Series today!