Set within the unforgiving winter landscape of rural Maine, Bitter Passage introduces Sheriff's Deputy Allegheny Beckham. Beckham has returned to Chamberlain County, seeking the quiet of home after years patrolling the streets of south Chicago.

But Chamberlain County has other ideas.

Immediately tasked with investigating a murder/kidnapping, Beckham methodically peels back layers of deceit surrounding a frozen corpse and a pair of missing teenaged twins. The young deputy embarks on a harrowing journey that sends her into treacherous terrain-both physical and emotional-as she races to deliver the children to safety. Descending ever-deeper into the deadly puzzle forces Beckham to confront a lifetime scarred by loss, guilt, and feral survival. When the violent finale unfolds, she discovers the cost of redemption may be higher than she ever imagined. Bitter Passage is a riveting tale of resilience, justice, and the enduring struggle to confront the shadows of the past.

Praise for Bitter Passage

". . . a tightly crafted police procedural that takes place during a classic Maine winter. It kept me guessing 'til the end."

-Robin Merrow MacCready, Edgar Award(R) recipient for Buried

". . . There is mystery here: murder, and missing kids, and intrigue stemming from those mysteries, but above all, there's the journey of Allie Beckham, who must study clues and the person in her mirror and the private ghosts who haunt her. Bitter Passage is Bates's first novel and it's a damn good one."

-Mort Castle

Three-time recipient of the Bram Stoker(R) Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, American Horror Writers Association

Publisher's Note: Fans of the PBS series D.I. Ray will find a kindred spirit in Deputy Allegheny Beckham.

Includes vulgar language and sexual content consistent with criminals and those who investigate their crimes.