4.0 (1 rating)

In the Pale Light

RevengeWho Done ItMorally Grey CharacterUnreliable Narrator

When Clay Graham and his family are found slain in the parking lot of his struggling business, the police suspect Clay's troublemaker brother, Terry.

Terry claims he was drunk the night of the murders and passed out at home. With little evidence against Terry to make an arrest, the case soon goes cold.

Shunned from the community, harassed by locals who believe he's a murderer, and suffering from an undiagnosed illness, Terry lives alone on his farm, punishing himself for his past indiscretions.

Then Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Henry Miller, who has ties to the town and the Graham murders, shows up with newly discovered evidence that kick-starts the case all over again.

Now, before his illness kills him, Terry sets out, battling against small-town secrets and old grudges, racing against time to stay one step ahead of both the state police and his own impending death, to finally find out what really happened to his family and hopefully prove himself an innocent man--if he is one.

Content Warnings: Graphic Violence • Bullying

Published: August 12, 2024

Pages: 424

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Available in: Paperback, Hardcover, and on Kindle Unlimited

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Reader Reviews

4.0

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Matt D.

Feb 8, 2026

Terry is widely known as the town's troublemaker with a fiery temper that often manifests itself with his fists. After his brother and family are found in their car in the parking lot of their struggling business, the town and the police focus their attention on him. However, a lack of evidence keeps them from getting an arrest and the case quickly goes cold.

As new evidence is uncovered and new players enter the mystery, Terry finds himself falling head first into the web of lies and deceit around him. What really happened to his brother? Will Terry finally get the justice for his brother (and clear his name)?

I found the style really engaging. I wanted to find out as much as I could about the characters and try to help Terry solve the underlying mysteries and untangle the web of lies and hidden truths that surround the town. The book lets us follow Terry as he navigates not only solving the mystery of his brother's death, but his own mysterious physical issues.

I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read more by Westley!

About the Author

Westley Smith

Westley Smith is the author of the thrillers Some Kind of Truth, They Came at Night, Who's Out There, and In the Pale Light. In the Pale Light landed on IngramSpark’s #1 pre-order charts in the mystery, thriller, and hard-boiled detective category.

Writing since he was ten, his first short story, “Off to War,” was published nationally at sixteen. His short stories have recently appeared in On the Premise and Unveiling Nightmares. He was the runner-up contestant in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine’s Mysterious Photograph Contest, and his short story Winter Reflections was chosen as a finalist for Crystal Lake

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