A gritty tale of how far weβll go to protect the ones we love for fans of Daniel Woodrellβs Winterβs Bone from Gale Massey, a talented new name in crime fiction.
Everyone says the Elders family are nothing but cheats, thieves, and convictsβa fact nineteen-year old Jamie Elders has been trying desperately to escape. She may have the natural talent of a poker savant, but her dreams of going pro and getting the hell out of the tiny town of Blind River, New York are going nowhere fast. Especially once she lands in a huge pile of debt to her uncle Loyal.
At Loyalβs beck and call until her debt is repaid, Jamie canβt easily walk awayβnot with her younger brother Toby left at his mercy. So when Loyal demands Jamieβs help cleaning up a mess late one night, she has no choice but to agree. But disposing of a dead man and covering up his connection to the townβs most powerful judge goes beyond family duty. When it comes out that the victim was a beloved athlete and Loyal pins the murder on Toby, only Jamie can save him. But with a dogged detective on her trail and her own future at stake, sheβll have to decide: embrace her inner criminal, or defy itβand face the consequences.