“The story is everything.”
In 1986, the quiet town of Bluesummer, Texas, was shattered by the crimes of an elusive serial killer known as The Songbird Strangler. That same year, four lifelong friends—Hayes Sheridan, Troy Terrell, Greer Collins, and Chantilly “Tilly” Price—set out to spend one last unforgettable summer together before college.
Only three of them made it out of that summer alive.
Tilly became the killer’s fifth victim. And all the evidence pointed to one of their own.
Now, thirty-five years later, Troy sits on death row. His final appeal falls to Joaquin Ramos, a sharp, ambitious attorney with the Death Penalty Abolition Project. What begins as a hunt for procedural violations quickly unravels into something more disturbing when Joaquin and his assistant uncover evidence that Troy may be innocent—and that the real killer might still be hiding in plain sight.
Greer and Hayes, tied together by the tragedy, want nothing to do with Troy—or the lawyer trying to save him. But as Greer, now a journalist, begins investigating on her own, she starts to question everything she thought she knew—including her own role in Troy’s conviction.
Because in Bluesummer, justice was swift—but the truth was left behind.
For fans of I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai and All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, this gripping literary thriller unravels the dark knots of memory, friendship, and the high cost of silence.
COMING 6-30-26
Praise for The Bone Nest:
“The pacing is electric, driven by a steady cadence of DNA results, corrupted evidence, missed connections, and alibis that crumble at exactly the right moment. Again and again, you think you have it figured out, but until Gluhm finally reveals everything, you’ll keep guessing. The Bone Nest will easily become your next mystery obsession.”-Indies Today
“More than a legal thriller, this novel bears witness to a man ensnared by the death penalty, inviting readers to consider mercy, justice, and the human dignity at stake when a flawed system wields power over life and death.” – Sister Helen Prejean
“Powerful and dark, The Bone Nest is a compulsive read and written in exquisite prose. As the clock ticks down, a convicted murderer awaits execution. But did he really do it? A cast of memorable characters are fighting to find out. Shanessa Gluhm is a suspense master!” –Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassins
“Set against the sweltering heat and simmering politics of small-town Texas, the story weaves together memory, guilt, friendship, and justice in a way that feels both intimate and unsettling, quietly pulling the reader deeper with each chapter.”-Kimberly Coghlan, founder of Coghlan Professional Writing Services
“The Bone Nest explores the tension between truth and memory. The gradual buildup works because the story relies on emotional truth as much as the mechanics of a mystery. It is less about chasing a killer and more about understanding how a community molds it’s own version of justice.” –Reedsy Discovery
“There are no ‘muddy middles’ in Shanessa Gluhm’s novels. Even her secondary characters leap off the page, creating a poignancy amid a suspenseful plot. You won’t be able to put Shanessa Gluhm’s THE BONE NEST down. And you won’t want to.”~ Kathryn Brown Ramsperger, Award-winning author of The Shores of Our Souls and A Thousand Flying Things
“In 1986, the quiet town of Bluesummer, Texas, is shattered by the horrors of a serial killer, and a young man is swiftly convicted and sentenced to death. Decades later, as his execution date looms, a determined childhood friend joins forces with an unlikely legal team to expose cracks in the prosecution’s case, racing against time to uncover the truth before justice is served—perhaps for the wrong man. Shanessa Gluhm’s investigative thriller, Bone Nest, is a gripping, cinematic masterpiece that skillfully blends procedural intensity with ethical dilemmas, revealing how prejudice, greed, and hubris can devastate lives. Prepare to be held captive until its unforgettable, jaw-dropping finale.”-Alexander Blevins, Award-winning author of Arkansas Black and Bycatch
Shanessa Gluhm 