Some mysteries refuse to stay buried.For Elena Ward, the disappearance of her sister Anna twenty-two years ago was a wound no time could heal, a silence that echoed through every corner of her life. But when a cryptic letter reopens the cold case, Elena finds herself propelled into a dangerous world where hidden truths threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew.Detective Ryan Hale is haunted by his own losses and driven by a relentless pursuit of justice. When their paths collide, they form an uneasy alliance bound by pain, passion, and the desperate need for answers.As they peel back layers of deception shrouding the town of Ashford, Elena and Ryan uncover secrets guarded by a powerful family willing to kill to keep the past buried. Caught between justice and betrayal, love and danger, they must risk everything to expose the truth.Past Crimes, Present Passions is a gripping romance and crime thriller that explores how far two people will go to reclaim the voices stolen from them and how some passions refuse to be silenced.