Back when my son was young, we spent a lot of time camping as a family. We visited state parks across Pennsylvania, including Hickory Run, Worlds End, Ricketts Glen, and Promised Land. These were some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I loved hiking the trails and soaking in the fresh mountain air. Those moments brought me joy. They still do when I think back on them.
But life changes. After a number of surgeries, those hiking trips became memories rather than weekend plans. Still, the woods stayed with me. I carried them in my heart, and eventually, they made their way into my writing.
I wondered if I could bring together my love for nature with my love for storytelling. At the same time, I considered the pieces of my life that had shaped me. I grew up with a father and grandfather in law enforcement, and later a brother. Add to that many years of legal experience as a paralegal (and before that, a legal secretary), and I had a well of knowledge to draw from.
That’s when the idea for my Pennsylvania Parks series began to form.
Of course, I don’t write sweet nature walks and peaceful campfire chats. I write Christian romantic thrillers. So, into the woods I sent a serial killer. Someone who had been silently making women disappear for more than a decade.
The first book in the series started with the working title Butcher of Boulder Field, named for the national landmark located in Hickory Run State Park. Eventually, I retitled it Grave Pursuits, which felt more fitting for the journey my characters were about to take.
I chose Havertown, my hometown, as the place where my characters grew up. My heroine, Emily, is a park ranger haunted by the long-ago disappearance of her sister. Though the case went cold years ago, the grief never did. Her loss left a void and unanswered questions that plague her.
When human remains are discovered in Hickory Run State Park, Emily is thrust into a dangerous investigation that mirrors the fears she’s carried for years. The case reopens emotional wounds and forces her to confront the shadows of her past. Only by facing her past can Emily find closure and move forward.
Wade, the state police sergeant assigned to the original case, was there when her sister vanished. At the time, he and Emily were dating, and her disappearance changed everything. Upon returning to the States after serving his country overseas, he found work in law enforcement, pursuing justice for victims who could no longer speak for themselves. Years later, a morbid discovery near Boulder Field brings Wade into an investigation that reminds him of the heartbreak of the past.
As Wade and Emily work together to uncover the truth, their shared history resurfaces and so do the wounds they’ve both tried to bury. While the killer they’re tracking isn’t the one who took Emily’s sister, the case reopens old pain and forces her to confront the questions she’s carried for years. In the end, she finally learns what happened, and it changes everything.
In many ways, her story mirrors our own walk with God. We carry wounds that don’t heal overnight. Questions remain unanswered far longer than we would like. But God sees beyond the darkness. He meets us in the middle of our pain and walks beside us through fiery trials. Even when we don’t feel His presence, He’s there. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Emily’s journey reminds us that healing doesn’t always come the way we expect, but in God’s hands, even the broken pieces of our story can be used for good.
Emily’s story is featured in Grave Pursuits, the first book in my Pennsylvania Parks series. I’m thrilled to share that Grave Pursuits has just been re-released as part of the Cold Case, Warm Hearts anthology. It appears alongside gripping stories from Colleen Coble, Robin Patchen, Lisa Phillips, Jennifer Youngblood, Lynn Shannon, and Susan May Warren. This brand-new collection released April 22, 2025, and brings together some of the most thrilling voices in Christian romantic suspense.
Elle E. Kay lives on a hobby farm in the mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband and a lively mix of animals. She’s an Angel Award-winning author who writes gripping Christian romantic thrillers that combine heart-pounding suspense with hope-filled endings. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her reading, playing piano, singing at church, or enjoying the peace of her rural surroundings.
You can connect with Elle on her website or through her social media:
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