The Celestial Shot

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When Cincinnati businessman Nick Vernon is shot dead while dining at the Celestial Restaurant high above the Ohio River, the murder seems impossible.

The killer fired from nearly a mile away.

Detective Trueman North knows a shot like that isn't luck. It's the work of someone with extraordinary skill, patience, and discipline. As North and his partner Ronnie Huxley follow a trail of clues across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, they uncover evidence pointing to a sniper who spent years preparing for a single moment.

But nothing about the case is what it first appears to be.

The victim is hiding secrets. The killer is hiding a past. And as North draws closer to the truth, he finds himself confronting ghosts of his own — memories of war, loss, and the scars violence leaves behind.

Neither the dead man nor his killer are who they claim to be.

Because the past is never truly dead. And sometimes it is patient enough to wait decades for justice.