The Case of the Ember Mill Haunting
The Ember Mill has always had secrets. Now it has a body.
When ambitious nightclub owner Theo Wren reopens Blackvale's most infamous building — a converted mill with a blood-soaked speakeasy history — he promises the town one unforgettable opening night. He delivers. Just not in the way anyone expected.
Rising singer Ruby Riot is dead, electrocuted on stage in front of a room full of witnesses. The owner says it's a tragic accident. The evidence says maybe. And Cressida Vale has already decided it's murder — she just needs her reluctant best friend Miles Stone to agree.
Miles has good reasons to stay out of it. His father is the sheriff. A family friend is the prime suspect. And the last time they got tangled up in a Blackvale mystery, things got complicated in ways Miles is still untangling. But Cressida has already drafted the contract. And Miles, for all his protests, already knows she's right.
Beneath the Ember Mill's glossy new floors lie hidden tunnels, 1920s gambling ledgers, and a darkness that has nothing to do with ghosts — and everything to do with obsession, envy, and the ache of a dream deferred.
Perfect for readers who love atmospheric small-town mysteries with smart protagonists, layered community dynamics, and the particular satisfaction of justice served warm.
The Case of the Ember Mill Haunting is Book 2 in the Vale & Stone: Consulting Detectives cozy gothic mystery series — each book stands alone, but the characters grow richer with every case.
Fans of Louise Penny, Simone St. James, and Richard Osman will feel right at home.
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About J.P.
J.P. White is a librarian and writer born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A Southerner at heart, her stories are rooted in the landscapes, rhythms, and quiet tensions of the American South. By day, she helps readers discover the stories meant just for them; by night, she writes the ones she once searched for herself.
A lifelong creative, J.P. enjoys digital art, watercolor painting, and visiting museums and libraries wherever their travels take them. Her work is deeply inspired by everyday life and the countless people she encounters through her work in libraries—each conversation, question, and recommendation offering a glimpse into the quiet mysteries of human connection.
Though surrounded by books professionally, J.P.'s path to writing didn't begin with a love of reading so much as a love of helping. She entered librarianship to guide others toward stories that resonated with them—stories that felt like home. When those same stories proved elusive for her own younger self, J.P. began writing instead. What started in high school as a search for belonging has grown into a lifelong vocation.
She writes Southern Cozy Gothic-tinged mysteries and Southern Gothic Suspense/Thrillers that center atmosphere, character, and emotional truth. Her stories are steeped in the beauty and shadow of the South—where found family matters, curiosity is rewarded, and justice often arrives with a teacup nearby.
