The accidental death of Rhiann Fahey's second husband leaves her paralyzed by grief and her son Jimmy cutting school and drinking. The widow's problems are compounded by the unwanted advances of her dead husband's friend.

Rhiann does her best to cope, returning to work, dealing patiently with Jimmy's misbehavior, telling Rory Sinter she's not interested.

Then a mysterious stranger moves in next door. John Devlin offers Rhiann beer and sympathy. He gives Jimmy a job.

Jimmy complicates things further by looking up his birth father's family, from whom Rhiann has been estranged for many years. And by falling in love with a mysterious girl.

When Sinter tries to discredit John, then beat him to death, Rhiann comes to John's rescue. But she discovers her perfect neighbor isn't what he'd seemed---which leads her to investigate and to see John in a different light altogether.

A tale of violent men and violent passions, of missing friends, of loss and discovery, this beautifully written story, whose characters come to life from the first page, shows one more side of Michael Allen Dymmoch's powerful storytelling ability.