n 1986, the 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 summer together before college.
Only three of them made it out of that summer alive.
Tilly became the killer’s fifth victim. 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, an ambitious attorney with the Death Penalty Abolition Project. What begins as a hunt for procedural violations unravels when Joaquin uncovers evidence that Troy may be innocent—and that the real killer might still be hiding in plain sight.
Greer and Hayes, tied together by tragedy, want nothing to do with Troy—or the lawyer trying to save him. But as Greer, now a journalist, begins investigating, she questions 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 Rebecca Makkai and Megan Miranda, this thriller unravels the dark knots of memory, friendship, and the high cost of silence.
n 1986, the 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 summer together before college.
Only three of them made it out of that summer alive.
Tilly became the killer’s fifth victim. 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, an ambitious attorney with the Death Penalty Abolition Project. What begins as a hunt for procedural violations unravels when Joaquin uncovers evidence that Troy may be innocent—and that the real killer might still be hiding in plain sight.
Greer and Hayes, tied together by tragedy, want nothing to do with Troy—or the lawyer trying to save him. But as Greer, now a journalist, begins investigating, she questions 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 Rebecca Makkai and Megan Miranda, this thriller unravels the dark knots of memory, friendship, and the high cost of silence.
To: AdamsT@DallasMorningNews.com
From: Greer_Sheridan@gmail.com
Subject: BREAKING NEWS—Songbird Strangler Arrest
Tate,
By the time you read this, an arrest will have been made in the Songbird Strangler case.
As you know, I discovered the body of Chantilly Price, the fifth and final victim of the Strangler—and one of my closest friends—on July 4, 1986.
I also helped implicate our friend, Troy Terrell, as a suspect. Your readers know that story, but what they don’t know is this: none of it is true.
I’ve attached the opening of my piece. If you’re interested in running the rest, reach out. Trust me, Tate, this one is going to be big.
Sincerely,
Greer Sheridan
Freelance Journalist
555-263-9986
PS: Consider this story (exclusive rights and all) my apology—thirty-five years too late. Believe me, you were better off.
Chapter 1
Allan B. Polunsky Unit, 2024
Texas was the only state with its own time zone, or so Joaquin Ramos liked to say. He’d grown up on the West Coast, where no one said “California time.” In Colorado, interning for a defense attorney, he’d learned to specify “Mountain Time.” But in eight years here, he’d never once heard “Central Time.”
Pacific Time . . . Mountain Time . . . Texas Time.
Joaquin had found the same to be true about the death penalty. Nationwide, inmates waited an average of nineteen years on death row; in Texas, it was eleven.
So, the fact that Troy Terrell was still alive, sitting on the other side of that scratched plexiglass thirty-seven years after his sentencing, was a bona fide miracle.
“A little late for a new lawyer, isn’t it?” Troy asked.
Joaquin squared his shoulders. “Let’s hope not. I know they’ve set your execution date, but I’d like to review the case.”
“They’ve set my date lots of times.”
“And Mr. Oswald and his team always stopped it,” Joaquin said.
“But now they’re done trying to save me.” Troy sighed. “Can’t blame them. Mom’s dead. My cousin Vic’s all I have, and he can’t take out any more loans.”
“I’ve spoken to Mr. Oswald. He’s still in contact with the governor, still willing to help, but he feels he’s done all he can in court.” Joaquin didn’t mention that Oswald was retiring at Christmas. Joaquin couldn’t fathom Oswald enjoying a cozy Christmas knowing his client’s days were numbered. Some men could disassociate—separate the personal from the professional. Joaquin wasn’t one of them. “Sometimes you just need fresh eyes on a case,” he told him. “I’ve got pretty good vision.”
The fluorescent light flickered above the visiting booth, casting a washed-out glow over Troy’s face. He no longer resembled the fresh-faced, athletic nineteen-year-old that Americans thought of when they pictured the Songbird Strangler. “And who’s paying for those twenty-twenty eyes of yours?”
“The Death Penalty Abolition Project finds attorneys to take cases pro bono. That means—”
“I know what it means.”
Joaquin straightened his tie. “Right, of course. DPAP will cover the costs of another habeas corpus—if I can find grounds to file one.” Keep filing, keep them alive. The words of Anabella Henley—Joaquin’s old mentor—replayed in his head like a loop.
“You look young,” Troy said.
Joaquin bristled. “I’m thirty-five. Younger than Oswald, sure, but I’ve got a winning record and killer instincts.”
“So you believe I’m innocent?” Troy asked.
Joaquin shifted on the uncomfortable stool. “To be honest, I don’t care. I oppose the death penalty.”
“Why?” Troy asked.
Joaquin held up a fist, ticking off points. “It violates the Constitution, discriminates in practice, fails as a deterrent, drains taxpayer money, and sometimes executes the innocent.”
Troy’s lips quirked in a half-smile. “You talk fast.”
Joaquin laughed. “You should hear my mom’s Spanish when she’s angry. If I’m going too fast, stop me. I talk fast because I think fast, and that’s a plus in my profession.”
“Mr. Ramos, I may talk slow, but I’m not stupid.”
Joaquin opened and closed his mouth. So much for fast thinking. “I . . . um . . . I know you’re smart,” he said. “Smart enough to contact DPAP.”
“I didn’t contact anybody.”
“Your cousin then?”
Troy shook his head. “My best guess is Ms. Melrose Reed.”
Joaquin rubbed his chin. “Name doesn’t ring a bell.”
“She’s a paralegal for Mr. Oswald, and she doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit.”
Joaquin leaned forward. “I like her already.”
“Melrose came in late during my last appeal. We hit it off. She’s a real firecracker and says whatever is on her mind. Reminded me of an old friend.”
Chantilly Price. Joaquin recalled the article about her with a similar description from her father. Something about losing their firecracker on the Fourth of July.
“Melrose believes I’m innocent.” Troy looked up again. “Aren’t you even going to ask if I am?”
Joaquin leaned back, smoothing his tie. “Not until I represent you. Then you can share information under attorney-client privilege.”
“So, you’d represent me even if I killed five girls in cold blood? Even if I am the Songbird Strangler?”
Joaquin nodded. “I would, but the fact that DPAP took your case suggests they believe in your innocence. They get flooded with requests and have to be careful for PR reasons.”
Troy moved closer to the glass. “Do you have a wife, Mr. Ramos? Daughter? Sister?”
The phone felt heavy in Joaquin’s hand. “Three sisters.” He was never sure whether the one who’d died in his arms still counted, but he couldn’t bear to exclude her.
“Okay, so assuming I’m this serial killer they claim, you’d want me back on the streets? Back in the world where your sisters live?”
The room was stifling. Joaquin exhaled, pushing away the image of his youngest sister, Glory, who no longer lived in this world.
“Mr. Terrell, I can’t promise your release. Two juries found you guilty. A third sentenced you to death again after your original sentence was overturned. Judges and courts have upheld your conviction at every turn. But if you’re innocent and we can prove it, that’s the best-case scenario.”
“And worst-case?” Troy asked.
“You’re already in it. But we might get your sentence reduced to life.” Joaquin leaned in. “Cops make mistakes. So do lawyers, judges, and juries. I’m damn good at finding them. If I do, a judge might resentence you. Maybe even overturn the conviction.”
“And how many have you saved from the row?”
“One,” Joaquin said, omitting the fact that he was part of a team of six lawyers, three paralegals, and two investigators. He doubted the Death Penalty Abolition Project could offer the same support.
“One,” Troy repeated, shaking his head.
“One out of one,” Joaquin clarified. “I’ve been a private defense attorney for eight years. My record speaks for itself.”
“Why the change, then?” Troy asked. “Bored with getting rich boys out of DUIs?”
Joaquin wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Is it always this hot in here?”
“Better here than in my cell.” Troy shrugged. “We didn’t have much growing up, but Ma couldn’t stand the heat. The thermostat never went above seventy. I never thought I’d get used to sleeping without AC, but the body adapts.”
Joaquin shook his head. Eighty-five to a hundred degrees in a sixty-square-foot cell, twenty-three hours a day—sad what a man could get used to.
“You didn’t answer my question, Mr. Ramos. Why are you moonlighting with death penalty cases?”
“Because I want to make a difference.”
Troy smirked. “You mean you want to make a name for yourself?”
Joaquin sat stunned. Troy Terrell was indeed a smart man. “Yeah, that too,” Joaquin admitted.
Troy nodded. “Okay, Mr. Ramos, where do I sign?”
“My administrative assistant will draw up the papers. And please—call me Joaquin.”
Troy thanked him, and they said their goodbyes. As Joaquin turned to leave, Troy tapped the glass. “And in case you were wondering, Mr. Ramos, I am innocent.”
The Bone Nest is a slow building, emotionally layered mystery that mixes small town unease with the long shadows of an old crime. The story begins in 1986 in Bluesummer, Texas, where a serial killer known as the Songbird Strangler terrorized the town and left four friends forever changed. This part of the book feels nostalgic in a bittersweet way, almost like looking at a summer that should have been ordinary but never was.
The details from this period match the descriptions found in the official listings, which explain how only three friends survived that summer and how Tilly Price became the killer's fifth victim.
The narrative then shifts thirty five years later. Troy Terrell, once part of that friend group, sits on death row for the murder he insists he did not commit. His final appeal lands in the hands of Joaquin Ramos, an ambitious and idealistic attorney who starts out searching for procedural errors but quickly finds himself pulled deeper into the town's long buried secrets. This setup is consistent with the confirmed synopsis, which highlights how Joaquin uncovers signs that Troy may be innocent and that the real killer may still be living quietly among them.
The book explores the tension between truth and memory. Greer, now a journalist, begins to question her own past and her role in the events that shaped Troy's fate. Her personal conflict adds human weight to the investigation. Hayes, still bound to the tragedy, wants nothing to do with reopening old wounds. The official descriptions emphasize this dynamic, noting how Greer and Hayes resist the attempt to revisit the case but cannot escape its consequences.
As a reading experience, the book is atmospheric rather than fast paced. Some parts unfold slowly, especially the sections where old memories and guilt resurface, but the gradual buildup works because the story relies on emotional truth as much as on the mechanics of a mystery.
Readers who enjoy thrillers that center on friendships, long buried secrets and the weight of silence may find it deeply satisfying. The plot is heavy at times, yet it stays grounded in relatable human emotions. It is less about chasing a killer and more about understanding how a community molds its own version of justice.
Overall, The Bone Nest blends legal drama, psychological tension and a heartfelt look at the cost of loyalty. It feels both intimate and suspenseful. It rewards readers who like reflective storytelling and a mystery that reveals itself piece by piece rather than through big twists every few chapters.