Seven years ago, a peaceful Missouri suburb was shattered when five young women were murdered. Their killer, Arthur Redding, confessed—and the case was closed.

Until now.

A new prison interview raises a chilling possibility: Did Redding truly kill all five victims? Or was one murder covered up—and why?

Detective Annie Doyle of the St. Louis Cold Case Unit can’t let it go. As she reopens the files, she uncovers inconsistencies, hidden connections, and a victim whose death never matched the others. Someone lied. Someone is still lying. And someone is desperate to keep the truth from resurfacing.

Across the country, graduate student Georgia Allen is trying to outrun her past. But when Annie’s investigation leads straight to her door, Georgia finds herself pulled into a nightmare she thought she escaped.

As the truth about The Fifth Girl emerges, lives unravel, loyalties break, and the real story proves more horrifying than anyone imagined.