What Comes Next for Vale & Stone?

I’ve been sitting on this post for a while now.

Not because I didn’t know what to say—but because sometimes the space between books deserves a moment to breathe. To let the echoes settle. To allow the ghosts (literal or otherwise) to stop rearranging the furniture.

But since you’re here, and since you’re asking…

Let’s talk about what comes next for Vale & Stone.

First Things First: Yes, Book 2 Is Coming

Let’s get this out of the way up front so you don’t have to squint suspiciously at your screen:

✨ Book 2 of Vale & Stone: Consulting Detectives is coming out Summer 2026. ✨

Not hypothetically. Not “someday, maybe, if the stars align.” Not “I swear it exists in my head.”

It is real. It is happening. And it is already making itself very comfortable in reality.

Back to Blackvale, NC

We’re heading back to Blackvale—that slightly crooked, atmospheric Southern town where the tea is sweet, the secrets are not, and everyone knows everyone… or thinks they do.

You’ll see more of the town this time. More corners. More history. More of the kind of places that look harmless in daylight and feel decidedly less so after dark.

And yes—you’ll be meeting more Blackvale residents.

Some charming. Some suspicious. Some who absolutely know more than they’re saying.

(As is tradition.)

Another Mystery. Another Body. Another Very Bad Day.

What is a Vale & Stone book without:

• Another murder mystery to solve

• Twists that make you rethink what you thought you knew

• Doors that probably shouldn’t be opened (but will be)

The case itself? I’m not saying a word.

But I will say this: the mystery digs into Blackvale in a different way this time. The ripples spread wider. The questions linger longer. And the answers? Well… they don’t come easy.

The People You’re Here For (I Know You)

Yes, yes—don’t worry. I hear you.

There will be:

• More Cressida and Miles bantering, circling each other with words like it’s a competitive sport

• That delicious push-pull of intellect, instinct, and unresolved tension

• More Aunt Sylvia, dispensing wisdom, commentary, and impeccable Southern hospitality

• Meals that feel like events

• Conversations that feel like interrogations (sometimes accidentally)

Their dynamic deepens. The rhythm sharpens. The comfort grows—along with the complications.

Chaos, Charm, and the Nightlife

Blackvale after dark has its own personality.

There’s laughter. There’s flirtation. There’s the easy chaos of local nightlife where everyone’s a little too relaxed and a little too honest.

The town breathes differently at night. And Book 2 leans into that—the music, the murmurs, the sense that something might go wrong… or already has.

And About the Ghosts…

Listen.

I am not saying there are ghosts.

I am also not saying there aren’t.

Vale & Stone lives in that delicious space where atmosphere does a lot of heavy lifting—and sometimes the shadows feel a bit too intentional to ignore.

So.

A ghost or two… maybe.

The Heart of It All

At its core, Book 2 continues what this series does best:

• A Gothic-meets-cozy mystery

• A town that feels lived-in and layered

• Relationships that matter as much as the case

• Wit, warmth, and just enough unease to keep you reading with the lights on

It’s familiar—but not stagnant. Comforting—but sharper. And still very much grounded in character, place, and the slow unraveling of truth.

So… What Comes Next?

More Blackvale. More questions. More banter. More secrets.

And a story that trusts you to follow the clues.

Vale & Stone Book 2 arrives Summer 2026. Until then, keep your eyes open.

Blackvale always knows when you’re watching.

Until next time,

J.P.

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