The Lightning Tree Murders: A Novel
By (Author) J. Todd Scott
Crooked Lane Books
Crooked Lane Books
14th October 2025
United States
Paperback
320
Width 139mm, Height 209mm
Lightning never strikes twice-until it does. A killer is hunting down survivors of lightning strikes in this dark and twisting thriller perfect for fans of J. H. Markert and Richard Chizmar. Lightning never strikes twice -until it does. A killer is hunting down survivors of lightning strikes in this dark and twisting thriller perfect for fans of J. H. Markert and Richard Chizmar. Everything changed for Andi Ellis when she was struck by lightning and her heart stopped. Andi was resuscitated, but she was never the same-electronics strangely malfunction in her presence- clocks can't keep time; batteries swiftly die. And while many lightning strike victims are left with temporary "lightning tree" markings, on her they are permanent scars. Years later Andi, her eight-year-old daughter, and a fellow lightning strike survivor have fled Texas and Andi's dangerous ex to go off the grid in a strange and secluded desert community. Meanwhile, two private investigators pursue a US senator's missing daughter who they find too late. When searching for information on the strange lightning scars on the girl's body, they find themselves pulled into an FBI investigation-people who have been struck by lightning are being murdered. As the death toll mounts, the task force traces the killer further west-closer and closer to Andi Ellis and her daughter, and the haven she's carefully created. Thriller and horror readers will be enthralled by the dark turns in Scar the Sky.
A retired federal law enforcement agent with thirty years of experience, J. Todd Scott was a finalist for the 2024 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback Original and is the critically acclaimed author of six crime, suspense, and thriller novels. He is also a film and TV producer and screenwriter, most recently for the Paramount+ series Lawmen- Bass Reeves.