In the Dark of the Past

The Murder of the Month Club

by Rayvn Salvador

Some things are never truly buried.

Not the dead.

Not the truth.

And definitely not the past.

Nine years ago, River Bennett fled Maple Ridge with nothing but trauma and determination in her rearview mirror. Her father—once a respected cop—had been exposed as a corrupt officer, and rather than face the consequences, did something River has never been able to reconcile. The fallout destroyed everything: her trust, her stability, and the fragile connection she shared with Detective Finn Callahan.

Now, she’s back. Older, wiser, a psychologist with a practice to rebuild and a heart guarded like a fortress. What she doesn’t expect is to be pulled into the Murder of the Month Club—a group of amateur sleuths with a love for true crime, some impressive credentials, and a pretty decent track record for solving cold cases. Or to be working alongside Finn, the man whose actions shattered her world…and whose eyes still see far too much.

But when a decades-old disappearance leads to a powerful town figure with ties to both River’s and Finn’s families, the case becomes personal. As they dig deeper, unearthing long-buried secrets and town-wide corruption, the couple is forced to confront their shared past—and a dangerous present.

In Maple Ridge, the past isn’t done with them.

And this time, it just might win.

For readers of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Colleen Coble — small-town secrets, second-chance romance, and a community that won't let the past stay buried.

514 pages, ebook

Published August 11, 2026

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rayvn Salvador is a lifelong bibliophile who swapped an eighteen-year IT career for a life of storytelling. Known for her unique blend of romance, mystery, suspense, and a dash of darkness, Rayvn’s books are never your average love stories. They’re filled with twisty plots, irresistible swoony moments, and just the right touch of humor to keep things light, even when the stakes are high. She lives in Florida with her feline familiars and incredibly supportive beau—who hopes nobody ever needs to check her search history. Outside of writing, she’s a fan of sporting events, concerts, long walks in the woods, investigating haunted locales, and diving deep into true crime documentaries. If you’re looking for her, she’s likely currently hard at work on her next book to make your pulse race.

Reviews

[Rosi Colmenares]

I had SUCH a good time with this one!! A small town full of secrets, a cold case, corruption, a Murder of the Month Club AND some second-chance romance?? Literally give it to me.

I loved River and Finn and getting both of their POVs. The mystery kept me guessing and I loved slowly putting the pieces together with them. Every time I thought I knew where we were going, something else had me questioning my theory. Also the Murder of the Month Club??? OBSESSED with this concept. I already need to know more about everyone else in the club. Such a fun mystery with just the right amount of romance mixed in. I will absolutely be continuing this series!!

[Mandy]

This was Ravyn like you’ve never seen her before, in the best way possible. I am all in on The Murder of the Month Club and can’t wait for more! This book was the perfect balance of cozy and mysterious, romantic and suspenseful, comedic and emotional, and I could not stop turning the pages. River was a super unique and intriguing FMC and I loved the chapters where we got to be inside Finn’s head. And of course, the bits and pieces of the other club members we got sparked curiosity for their stories, as well! A town that has been corrupt for decades and decades, the past meeting the present and secrets that were meant to stay buried being uncovered? Sign me up! The pacing for a cozy thriller was perfect, giving the reader just enough information to piece together their own theories alongside the characters, and the little pieces of evidence that had you going back at the end wondering how you missed the connections. The procedural parts were super interesting to me as a thriller/mystery reader who doesn’t see it much, and I adored getting to learn more about how all of this works on a county and state level. This is a perfect end of summer mystery that will keep you guessing and turning the pages until the very end!

[Beth Stromberg]

River Bennett has come home after a number of years. She had left after her mother committed suicide, father was disgraced, and also died. She ran away from a relationship, and all the bad memories, but has come back.
She joins a club that tries to solve Cold Case mysteries. This case winds up involving her father's disgrace. At the first meeting, the sheriff, Finn Callahan walk soon. River is totally shocked. He was one of the cops who had worked the case that disgraced her father, and had been her serious boyfriend.
As the story goes on, lies and dissection are uncovered. It runs deeper and deeper than anybody thought.
This book has twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. Each car character is interesting, but you need to keep track of a lot of them, and you never know who is on your side, or who is deceiving you.
The book is a page turner, and keeps you thinking. Another great point to the book, is towards the end there a little tidbits dropped. Tidbits that make you wonder, and want to know more, but the book is ending. Then you realize this is the first in a series. I highly recommend it, and can't wait for book two to come out!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan]

This book checked a lot of boxes for me.
-Dual POV
-Second chance romance
-Found family
-Enemies to lovers

This was such a fun read! A romance with thrilling mystery? Opening up cold cases? Jaw dropping twists? SIGN-ME-UP!

River and Finn had you rooting for them from the start. I felt like the author, Rayvn Salvador, did such an amazing job portraying the hatred River felt for Finn based on events from their past. With that said, you could also just feel her love for him underneath all that anger. I love their relationship, and I can't wait to see where it goes.

It took until I was about a quarter of the way to really grab me,but then I was hooked. There was so much deception and corruption, I really couldn't get enough! My only real complaint is that I felt the end was a bit drawn out. Once the crime was solved, I was ready to wrap things up, and that didn't happen for quite some time.

Is this a romance with a thrilling twist; or a thriller with a bonus romance? I'm not sure, but what I do know is I am thankful this is a series, and I am excited for the next one!

[Meaghan Elizabeth 🌙]

This was such a fun, dark, twisty read! I really enjoyed the mix of true crime, mystery, and suspense, and the whole idea behind the Murder of the Month Club was so intriguing. There were definitely moments where I thought I had things figured out, only to realize I was completely wrong.

I loved how the story slowly unraveled and how the pieces started coming together as the investigation progressed. The vibe also worked so well for this book. It had that creepy, unsettling feeling that made me want to keep reading just to see where everything was going.

The characters were another highlight for me, and I especially enjoyed watching them develop alongside the mystery. There was enough tension and suspense to keep me hooked without feeling like it was just about the murder.

Overall, this was a really entertaining thriller with plenty of secrets, twists, and made me feel like I didn’t want to put this down . Definitely a book I’d recommend if you enjoy true crime, murder mysteries, and suspense with a darker vibe.

[BM]

She is a psychologist who is involved with a club as slueths reviwing old, oustanding crimes, and he is an ex boyfriend and the town law enforcement, having returned to her home town after years absent. Her father's behaviour and reputation was destroyed, her mother committed suicide, so her memories are not good as to what and why she left.
River and Finn join forces. They are both involved with an old case and her father is central to it. Their former relationship is also in their midst.
A good run of suspence. Details and detailed in regards to the investigations. A town where corruption was rife and mystery as twists and turns challenge the characters and the reader. A well planned plot line and well developed characters, provides the opportunity for a second chance romance, definitely shows the author's talents for writing drama and thrillers.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[The Book Ssirren]

This book weaved together a cold case, second chance romance, and intrigue beautifully. Talk about packing a punch with this one. It was awesome to see both Finn and River grown. Their relationship had fallen apart and she became a psychologist while her was working amateur crimes with others. But when this particular cold case hit so close home, involving both of their families, she was determined to help find out what had happened. And the two of them working together sparked an old flame. I loved the intensity, the suspense, and the romance between them. This was an amazing story with a lot of depth that kept me on the edge of my seat. Great twists and turns that kept me immersed. Absolutely loved this one.

[Johanna]

Book 1 of The Murder of the Month Club. And a FANtastic start it is! Look forward to more from this world.

'Dual POV, slow-burn, fade-to-black romance, a sharp ensemble cast, and a cold case that spirals into political corruption and organized crime. Witty and warm, but with genuine weight.'

The characters were very appealing and complex and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building was excellent and expertly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Bo.oksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jill Clever]

I loved River and Finn. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, especially the friends in their cold case group. Anyone enjoying true crime, solving cold cases, small town romantic suspense, and second chance romance may enjoy. Very well written. Plot quite twisty and surprising but I had no trouble following along and I felt all story pieces were tied up. All in all I highly recommend and look forward to another in series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Peggy]

Amazing! This book draws you in and you just want to keep reading! I found myself wanting to know all i could about Finn and River. As i read i wanted to be part of the club. It was great how everyone always had each others back.
Like many of Ravyn’s other books it makes you want the next book right away!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy]

What an incredible start to a series! I was already a fan, but this made me an even bigger fan. I couldn’t put the book down, except when I was forced to. Going home again is never easy, especially when you left with a broken heart. Confronting the demons of the past, including your past love while trying to solve a murder with a group of friends will show you what’s most important in life. This story had me sucked in from page one and didn’t let go until the end. I can’t wait for the next one!

[Geri Stoikova]

Rayvn Salvador nailed it with this one! In the Dark of the Past is the perfect blend of a second chance small town romance with a gripping suspense line, cozy mystery vibes and small town politics and intrigues on the side. Now I need to read it again for the first time. It was that good. Even better, it's the first book in The Murder of the Month Club series and I can't wait for the next one. And River and Finn were amazing together. River was such a great and interesting FMC and I loved how her mind worked not only on the case they were investigating but her family drama and her past trauma. Finn was dedicated to his job and his work with the club but he was also determined to work with River on their shared past and what broke them. And he had nine years to think about it. Now River is back in town and she's joined the club. And when they choose their next case no one expected a missing person case to lead to uncovering a corruption that reshaped their town and the lives of so many people. Including themselves. And when the past finally meets the present all that was buried comes to light and has the power to reshape the town and it's people again. In the middle of all the secrets unraveling around them River and Finn found their way back to each other. Their relationship was so tender and mindful, filled with care and attention. And it was so beautiful. And I loved that they managed to correct some of the past injustice and to bring piece not only to the town but themselves. In the Dark of the Past is fast paced page turner that will keep you up late in the evening building your own theories alongside the characters. I did just that. For me In the Dark of the Past by Rayvn Salvador is the perfect mystery romance to read this summer and I'm sure you'll love it.

Thanks to the author and Booksprout for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.

[JM G]

What a great book! In the Dark of the Past pulls you right in and keeps you turning the pages. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next with Finn and River. I read late into the evening. I can't wait to read more!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andi]

5 ⭐️Read
I loved this book!!! This one definitely gave me a book hangover. It’s the perfect blend of mystery, romantic suspense, amazing characters and a plot that keeps you motivated to keep reading.

[Debbie Benson]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I really liked this book where a cold case is investigated. I liked River and Finn. It is a very well written mystery that keeps your interest. I look forward to more in this series.

[Read All About It]

This is a departure from this authors other books Ive read. A really long complex mystery.

A lot has happened in this small town. Raven left nine years ago and now she’s back. She joins the Murder Of The Month Club and as they dig into a cold case everything explodes.

A sheriff who still looked at me like I was the only fixed point in his universe.

Finn her ex who happens to be the sheriff and did something that turned her world upside down.

“Copy that, Sheriff Grumpy Pants.”

Everywhere they look corruption has seeped into their lives.

My only complaint is I think it could have been shorter.