A nationally acclaimed historian has his briefcase stolen during a contentious sheriff's race in Namekagon County, and John Cabrelli is pulled into a murder investigation with more questions than answers. The victim refuses to cooperate, a political rival circles like a vulture, and Cabrelli's only suspect turns up dead—run down before he can speak.

As the case spirals, Cabrelli follows a trail leading through cryptic journals, whispers of lost French gold, and long-buried secrets in the Northwoods. But every lead is a dead end.

Under pressure from a relentless county executive, Cabrelli must untangle fact from folklore, ambition from truth—and catch a killer before it costs him everything—his badge, his reputation, and maybe even his life.

River Gold, the fifth book in the award-winning Northern Lakes Mystery series, is a gripping small-town mystery packed with murder, buried secrets, and the haunting pull of lost treasure that keeps you guessing to the last page.