Funerals Are For the Living by Sami Ellis
Two words: racist cult.
Junie Daniels was in a car accident a month ago. Her sister died, and her mother has since been so deep in her grief that she’s mostly just checked out of life. She’s unable to plan a funeral for her daughter, so Junie decides she has to do it.
The cheapest place where Junie can get a grave for her sister is in the next town. But Williamsville has a sinister history and legacy, including that its namesake was an enslaver who practiced dark magic. Janie can only worry so much, as she lives in North Carolina, where such historical stories aren’t exactly rare.
But things at the cemetery are feeling weird. Janie enlists her best friend Omari to help her investigate what’s happening. Then, the two girls are taken. It seems like Williamsville’s legacy isn’t a rumor…nor is it gone. —Kelly Jensen