A dying convict’s last request thrusts small-town newspaperman Jefferson Morgan into a deadly maelstrom as he explores a fifty-year-old case of child murder — a wound his town still isn’t ready to scrape open. Under the heaviest deadline of his life, and amid threats from unexpected foes, Morgan must struggle with his own conscience to tell a story no matter the consequences, dig deep into the town’s past, and unveil a killer who’s managed to remain hidden in plain sight for almost 50 years. Now a true crime bestseller, Ron Franscell began his crime-writing career with crime fiction. THE DEADLINE was his first mystery featuring newspaperman Jefferson Morgan, followed by its sequel, THE OBITUARY.

The Lantern, a Renaissance mystery, travels from modern day Miami, Florida to Florence, Italy and from the twenty-first century to the fifteenth century. Along the way, three lives intersect and collide with each other and with some of the most famous figures of the Renaissance including members of the Medici, Brunelleschi, Donatello and a young Michelangelo.

With out of control curls, a smattering of freckles, and glasses hiding her dark eyes, Chrissy Masterson has always been the ugly duckling. She never thought she was pretty enough to garner the attention of her crush, Trent McAvoy. With countless nights spent dreaming of just one kiss from the tall, enticing quarterback, she’s devastated when he leaves abruptly, their chance at love vanishing as quickly as the crowd after a football game.

Six years after leaving, Trent returns to his hometown hoping to find the girl that once stole his heart way back when, her wavy dark hair and gorgeous smile haunting him for all the years since they’ve been apart. He catches a glimpse of his curvy beauty one afternoon in the midst of her dance routine and is stunned to find that she’s even more gorgeous than he remembered–she’s blossomed into a devastating beauty in his absence.