(NOTE: This letter contains spoilers for Lancaster Green (NCPU#12), published December 3, 2025, as well as all previous North County books.)

James was always going to come back to the captaincy. For better or for worse, that is his role. But I wanted that journey to really mean something, for him to have to dig through just about every part of himself before making the decision to come back. And one of those was the fact that he needs to tell his parents what happened to him. It doesn’t matter that he’s a grown man or that everyone who needs to know already knows. In a series so focused on family, where James’s entire character is built around his love and devotion to his family, there was no way that he could just not tell them.

I like the fact that it is probably obvious to the reader that everything will be fine. Of course his parents will embrace him, of course his cousins aren’t going to leave after he blurts out what happened when they all invade his apartment. I didn’t write this with the mystery being whether or not James’s mother will still love her son when she finds out something horrible happened to him. In fact, there’s really not much of a mystery in this entry. There’s a case, yes, but the main focus is squarely on James’s return and recovery. And there’s no real mystery there.

Kind of like how I never intended for it to be a shock when Robin turned on Gabriella in the first book. I’ve gotten some mixed and negative reviews on that book being like, yeah, it was totally obvious. And fair, maybe I could have done a better job of telegraphing that it was supposed to be obvious. The focus there was supposed to be on a naive kid having to deal with the consequences of her naivete, not the shock of a totally unforeseen betrayal. Likewise, the focus here is on a traumatized man coming to terms with what happened to him. The main point is the journey.

And it’s a messy journey. Between Madelyn’s lingering fear, James terrifying Bradley by diving into the lake, and the very real weakness in the seemingly superhuman Dr. Oliver, everybody is vulnerable in this one. And I doubt I’ll get through a full book without at least one person crying, but it might be nice to move on from the three most tear-filled books in the series. 

For now, at least. 

So this was the third book in the three-part arc that completes the first section of the series. It’s wrapped up as much as something like this can be wrapped up. Though of course it’ll have an impact on the rest of the series, especially since the questions haven’t all been answered. But the team are all back in their usual places, just a little more scarred than before. 

The next book is tentatively scheduled for early February 2026. It features Graham’s favorite food bloggers and a whole lot of psychic bullshit. If you want to stay up to date, you can sign up for my newsletter. And if you want to be among the very first to hear about things, you can join my Patreon, where you’ll get weekly microfiction, ebooks included in your subscription, and various other perks. 

Take care, I’ll see you soon.

-Amanda

December 2025