Ruby's Secret: A Mystery of Secrets, Truth, and the Weight of Lies That Bind Us

by Ruby Ellis, C. L. Arabelle (Narrator)

A literary mystery novel set in the small town of Hawthorne, where a mysterious confession reveals that an innocent man was imprisoned for a fire he did not commit. When Ruby receives an anonymous letter, she is drawn into a web of family loyalty, hidden evidence, and ten years of carefully guarded secrets. Themes include truth, justice, guilt, redemption, and the destructive power of silence. Suitable for general adult collections focused on psychological mysteries and contemporary literary fiction.

One rainy Tuesday, a mysterious envelope appears on Ruby's doorstep—no return address, just a black ribbon and a daisy that smells of smoke. The message inside pulls her back to a past she has tried to fold a fire, a trial, a man convicted for a crime he may not have committed, and secrets her small town of Hawthorne has kept buried for ten years.

Ruby Kensington is thirty-two, living alone in a narrow house by the river, learned in the art of living around quiet things rather than through them. When she receives the cryptic summons to meet at the willow by the river at midnight, she brings Elliot Marlowe, a steady friend who believes in explanations and truths. What unfolds is a devastating Miriam Hawke, a woman who has lived in silence for a decade, reveals that she moved evidence the night of the Willow House fire—evidence that led an innocent drifter named Jonah Marks to prison while protecting her own son.

Ruby's Secret is a haunting exploration of how love can become complicit with lies, how the weight of hidden truths corrupts even the most careful lives, and what it costs to finally choose honesty over protection.

Perfect for listeners of Tana French's In the Woods, Ruth Ware's One Perfect Couple, or the moral complexity found in The Nightingale. This is a story about the terrible price of silence and the fragile possibility of redemption.

Audible Audio

Published April 29, 2026

About the author

Ruby Ellis writes spicy shifter romance featuring fated mates, growly heroes, and heroines who bite back. Ruby’s stories blend passion, danger, and paranormal chaos with guaranteed happily-ever-afters. When Ruby is not writing, she is probably reading, making sourdough, or soaking up as much sunshine as she can get. Ruby lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. She is currently working on her next addictive spicy shifter series.

The Moon Touched Chronicles (Nightfang, Nighthowl, Nightfury)

The Sun Kissed Scrolls (Light Claw, Bright Paw, Ignite Maw)

TEBT Coming 2027