From the New York Times bestselling author of the V.I. Warshawski series comes “a gripping contemporary novel … of fear and conflict in heartland America” (Publishers Weekly).

 

In Kansas, on land that once saw some of America’s bloodiest antislavery battles, three families have coexisted for more than one hundred fifty years: the Grelliers, the Fremantles, and the Schapens. Once allies in the fight against slavery, today the Schapens and the Grelliers disagree on every subject, from organic farming to the war in Iraq, but above all on religion.

 

Into their lives comes Gina Haring, a relative of the Fremantles who is house-sitting the derelict family mansion while she puts her own life in order. Her lifestyle and beliefs will put her at odds with her neighbors … and test the mettle of a community being swept up in events beyond its control.

 

“The multigenerational narrative bristles with the kind of prickly social issues that give substance to Paretsky’s detective stories.”—The New York Times Book Review