Months after the drug empire that nearly destroyed Bryson City was torn down, Zane Ryland finally has something he's never had - peace. A cabin, a wife, a black lab, and a town trying to heal. Then the violence starts again. Men who once profited from Hank "The Snake" Williams' crimes are found beaten and left for dead. Rumors of a phantom avenger spread through town: The Silent One. Sheriff Mike Johnson needs Zane's help - fast - but every clue points into darker territory: old allies, buried secrets, and a man named Dale Harmon who's been consumed by grief. As Zane follows a trail of clues from abandoned warehouses to back-alley ICUs, the line between justice and vengeance blurs. When Dale finally admits the truth, Zane must decide what kind of justice Bryson City really needs - and what he's willing to sacrifice to get it. Atmospheric, morally charged, and impossible to put down, The Silent One is Book Three of the Bryson City Chronicles - a small-town crime thriller about guilt, retribution, and the cost of silence.