SIX WOMEN LAWYERS. HALLOWEEN WEEKEND. A SMALL TOWN IN ILLINOIS. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? The only reason Galena Kane returns to the town of her law school alma mater in Oregon, Illinois for her thirtieth birthday party over Halloween weekend is because she doesn’t want to disappoint her best friend, Lorne Edwards. Lorne convinced Galena that reuniting with their four former classmates in the same house in which they had lived during law school would be a fun way to celebrate. Not all of Galena’s memories of law school are pleasant, however - particularly those involving her nemesis, Logan Carmichael. After all, Galena is certain that Logan plagiarized her self-published crime thriller, catapulting Logan to fame in the literary world and legal academia. But that was several years ago, and Galena really should move on from the past, since it’s not good to harbor such resentment and anger. Moreover, Logan is deceased, having suffered an aneurysm during a law school lecture in the spring. It’s time to forget about Logan's thievery and let bygones be bygones, though this is easier said than done. In truth, Galena still despises Logan Carmichael even though she’s dead. And when inexplicable and menacing things start happening in the house, Galena not only regrets her decision in having accepted Lorne’s invitation, but she also begins wondering if the dead have the ability to negatively impact the living and if the intersection between the darkness and the light is unavoidable. Is it too late for Galena Kane to let go of her own anger and to escape from the terror that Halloween weekend holds in store? THE DESCENT: A Halloween Novel was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2023 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Manuscript Project Contest.