Nickolas Samuel Shepherd, oldest son of bounty hunter Roswell Shepherd, is the consummate “by the rules” guy. When his father left the family business to Nick, along with his brother Steven and his sister, it was with the understanding that Nick would take care of his siblings and his mother. Taking care of business meant taking responsibility for the success or failure of the business; in so doing, Nick has sacrificed his marriage and his family to preserve his father’s legacy.

Annie McNamara planned on having a culinary career, living in a sweet little apartment in Baltimore, and being surrounded by the literary life that she adored. What she didn’t plan on was having cancer. After three years of battling the disease and being in remission, she is back at the same hospital waiting for the news that will put her world in a tailspin once again.

Richie and Jon Carver are evil. Although Jon is the smart one and Richie is the hothead, together they manage to wreak havoc in this small town. No deal is too dirty, no violence too violent, that they won’t carry it out. When the Carver brothers come up against Nick Shepherd, they will find that they have met their match for determination and strategy.

Author W.L. Dyson has created a tale that is suspenseful while being, at the same time, heartwarming. It reminds us of the evil that often invades our world but reassures us that good will prevail. Enough unexpected turns in the story keep the reader guessing. This is an excellent choice for a rainy day, when you can read it through without interruption.