It is the eve of World War II, and racial tensions run high amidst an already-tense society. It is this backdrop in which young Annie Phillips Murray finds herself pregnant, broke, and alone after the tragic death of her beloved husband. 

Annie soon finds herself on the doorstep of her late husband’s sister and aging aunt, left with nowhere else to turn. As she becomes the caretaker of the house and all who live within it, Annie becomes worried about the safety of her son as her sister-in-law’s raging alcoholism reaches an all-time high. Eventually, her concerns become a reality: Annie’s sister-in-law throws a raucous party which ends in a fiery disaster. 

Once again homeless and on her own, Annie meets Policeman Dan Saunders, and the two quickly form a bond. Their love, however, is wrong in the eyes of their racist society: Annie is a young white woman, and Dan Saunders is black.  

As Dan becomes immersed in solving a terrifying murder case, Dan and Annie find their brave relationship in peril. As the family becomes irrevocably intertwined with the life of the mass-murderer Dan has been investigating, love once again turns to tragedy, and Dan and Annie face a battle for life or death.

About the Author

Author J.B. DiNizo is a seasoned writer and librarian. She is currently working on her next novel, Winding Paths to Home, which chronicles a woman fleeing her home during the Civil War with her disabled brother. DiNizo currently lives with her husband, dog, and cats at her home on the New Jersey shore.