Paranormal investigator Blair Wyndon is hell-bent on proving that ghosts are real. She posts the evidence she collects on the website, SpiritScientific, a well-known haven for like-minded paranormal believers. Well, like-minded except for Leif Henderson.
Leif is a ghost hunter, not some stuffy paranormal investigator. She makes the kind of videos that thrill her audience, not bore them nearly to death. It’s all about clicks, views, and keeping the public watching to grow her fan base. She’s going to prove that ghosts exist with a dash of flair. Not like Blair.
When they each receive an exclusive invitation to investigate the famed ghost town of Masonville, they jump at the chance. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity neither is willing to give up, even if it turns out that they must share the glory.
But they aren’t the only ones who have been invited, and soon the mystery turns deadly. Someone or something else is in Masonville, and if Blair and Leif don’t find a way to escape, they might never leave.

R.E. Ward is a lesbian living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with her fiancée, Elizabeth, and their spoiled cat, Zoey. She has always been enamored with 1920s style, though not 1920s values, and wanted to bring a queer narrative to her favorite aesthetic decade. Hot Keys was written during the Covid-19 pandemic and is Rebecca’s first novel.

R.E. Ward's profile page