When Cressida receives news about her ailing great-aunt Verna, Cress is more concerned with the money she can wring from her aunt's estate than with caring for her relative. When she arrives at Selah Ridge, she slowly walks into a ghastly trap. Chase Beaumont is the scion of a prominent Kentucky family who has aspirations for political office, yet a criminal indiscretion from the past threatens his future, so he summons his former fraternity brothers for a reunion to reaffirm brotherhood and seal any loose lips. West Ashford extols his family history and his belief that his ancestors were a vital cog in the Underground Railroad, yet his family estate holds many secrets and many ghosts, particularly the large tree that looms over the property.

A good horror story knows how to hit the right notes of fear and terror, and this trilogy does that in spades. In this trifecta of brilliant stories from the Bluegrass State, the horrific consequences that befall the characters of the narrative arise from greed, ambition, and hubris. In "The Vessel", the hints of something sinister in Selah Ridge are subtle, but the shallow nature of Cressida keeps her suppressing her fears to achieve her lucrative goal. "The Favorite Son" delivers a solid plot line about a manipulative sociopath who will pull out all the stops to gain power, even if it means dropping a few dead bodies. "The Witness Tree" is the last story in the collection, a powerful tale about a man who, when alerted to his family's past, chooses to bury it before it buries him. Collectively, these stories expose inherently flawed people who have created their own nightmare and thus their own comeuppance. This is a memorable set of stories that will be read with interest and enjoyment.

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