SCALED VENGEANCE
Coming November 10, 2026
The justice system failed. She didn’t.
Cassidy Vickers suspected the “Scales Killer” was a woman, and she was right. As a podcast host, serial killers were her obsession. Now working as a feature reporter, those human monsters are part of her past.
Convicted of nine murders, Scales Killer and former influencer, Emerson Kemp, rechristened “Lady Justice,” is weeks away from execution. But brutal abusers are dying again, each marked with Emerson’s signature icon of uneven scales. Is Emerson directing the murders from death row? Cassidy can’t resist searching for the answer.
When Emerson contacts Cassidy during a true crime livestream, Cassidy is further ensnared in the hunt. An outraged public accuses Cassidy of collusion, even murder, threatening Cassidy’s career and fracturing her family. Bodies are dropping, powerful forces are closing in, and the clock is ticking faster toward Emerson’s execution.
Can Cassidy find the truth? Or will darker secrets leave her world in ruin?
Reviews:
"Clever thriller enlivened by dark humor and a distinctly female perspective…a mixture of familiar thriller beats layered smartly with intriguing questions of female power, motherhood, and even queerness. [Barnhart] has a knack for depicting visceral violence…she brings an unusually female-centered perspective to familiar serial killer thriller territory.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Scaled Vengeance is a crackling wildfire of a tale, building toward a surprising ending I didn't see coming. In Cassidy Vickers, Barnhart has brought us a character we root for, even as life keeps tossing hot coals into her path. Scaled Vengeance has wriggled into my brain, begging the question: Is there such a thing as a righteous kill?” — Shannon Baker, bestselling author of the Kate Fox mystery suspense series
“Relentlessly suspenseful, Scaled Vengeance is as much about the bonds that hold a family together as it is about the killer tearing lives apart. At its center is Cassidy Vickers, a protagonist whose pursuit of the truth comes with a devastating cost. Barnhart gives equal weight to the investigation and the complicated, fiercely human family dynamics that shape Cassidy’s choices. A gripping thriller with emotional depth and not to be missed." – Mark Stevens, award-winning author of No Lie Lasts Forever