Files uploaded May 2, 2025, to print Advance Reader Copies.

One of our Story Development projects: an actual cold case from 1949 used as the basis of the story (but re-setting it in an earlier year).

The Story

When the body of a mummified woman wearing a bridal gown is found in an abandoned house, and the police are unable to solve the mystery, 19-year-old ‘Tee’ Gilliland is determined to uncover the truth.

In the autumn of 1936, in the quiet town of Vincennes, Indiana, aspiring young journalist Theresa ‘Tee’ Gilliland dreams of writing stories instead of sorting dusty archives and fetching coffee at the struggling local newspaper. Her ordinary life is forever changed on Halloween night when she and her best friend, Mary Lea, discover something chilling inside an abandoned house at the county line—a mummified corpse dressed as a bride.

Determined to uncover the truth behind the discovery, Tee faces skepticism and ridicule from townsfolk, the police, and even her dismissive editor. Undaunted, she digs deeper into a family’s tragic past, uncovering disturbing connections involving two sisters, Ruth and Edie, whose family story is marred by greed, jealousy, betrayal, and murder.

As Tee’s investigation progresses, the danger becomes personal and immediate—a shadowy presence determined to silence anyone prying into long-hidden secrets. Navigating a perilous maze of deception and prejudice, Tee must confront powerful adversaries and risk everything to ensure the forgotten tragedy and the buried truth finally come to light.

Set vividly against Depression-era America, ‘The Case of The Mummified Bride’ tells the gripping story of a courageous young woman who challenges societal expectations, fighting for justice and her right to transcend the restrictive roles imposed on women in her era.