Thrills and chills swirl into a freaky collage of depravity and camaraderie.
For a town as quaint as Lost Grove, the imposing Orbriallis Institute is an odd juxtaposition. The modern facility has an impressive reputation for its cutting-edge research, but rumors of unorthodox treatments and unscrupulous methods keep even the nosiest neighbors from prying. What actually goes on behind the well-guarded doors of Orbriallis is a mystery to everyone outside, but Sergeant Seth Wolf isn’t about to let beefed-up security keep him from getting answers. Some credible leads in the Sarah Grahams murder case point toward the highly restricted facility, but other clues seem to circle around less plausible explanations that Seth finds difficult to ignore. While the police department is busy interviewing suspects and close associates of the victim, local teen Noble Andalusian is wrapped up in an investigation of his own. He isn’t particularly interested in the facts surrounding the murdered woman. Instead, the disguised abduction of a young boy and the non-human substituting for that child is high on Noble’s to-do list. But his list is expansive and includes everything from figuring out dangerous family secrets to understanding the persuasive new students at school. More than anything else, though, is Noble’s desire to ensure the safety of his precocious younger sister. Noble and Seth are typically guided by logic and reason, but the unexplainable might be the only way to explain what has been happening in Lost Grove. If they don’t follow the evidence wherever it takes them, no matter how bizarre or unlikely, a killer could go free and their loved ones could be at risk.
A community shaken by news of a murdered resident is further fragmented as spooky rumors begin looking more like ominous truths in The Orbriallis Institute. Part One of the Lost Grove series merely tantalized with its mystical elements and unsolved crime, but this ethereal second act fully embraces all things supernatural. Whether time travel or witchy incantations, the possibilities seem limitless within this small town. Still, the authors keep the story tethered to reality by staying within their own defined lines and allowing readers to feel included in the suspense and unraveling mystery. From a creepy peeping tom to a young witch just discovering her magical side, Lost Grove is full of surprising characters who will make you shiver or smile as the pieces of this bizarre puzzle lock into place. Thrills and chills swirl into a freaky collage of depravity and camaraderie in the nail-biting mystery, The Orbriallis Institute.
