A man takes a stranger into his house only to unleash a savage lesson from the past.
A psychological crime novel about the past, the nature of justice, family secrets, the nature of forgiveness, revenge, identity, hunting and predation. Shepherd Butler, the protagonist and narrator of the novel, and his wife Mary are grieving the death of their son Felton to a hunting accident in Vermont. When Shepherd finds a stranger freezing in the forest he offers him a home. The man, Maxwell Heed has suffered personal tragedy when his fiancée was murdered. He becomes part of the family and Shepherd's nieces, Marigold and Joyce, and his sister Holly, instantly take to Maxwell, who is a sincere and religious man, seeking to understand the nature of forgiveness. The father of Shepherd's nieces, Dwight Fisher, ran off years ago and Shepherd takes an active part in their lives. Maxwell feels like another family member. He tells Shepherd and Mary of the man who killed his fiancée.
Temple Jones is a dangerous psychopath who preys on women. He has escaped justice. Maxwell fears he has followed him to Vermont. Shepherd tries to allay Maxwell's fears. Maxwell disappears leaving a note saying he has seen Temple Jones. Then Temple Jones turns up.
His arrival brings tragedy into their lives, leaving Shepherd and Mary asking searching questions of themselves. He targets Shepherd's family and Shepherd struggles to protect them. Temple knows too much about them, as if he has investigated their lives. When the police arrive Temple escapes, disappearing from the state. Then Shepherd reads of some crimes in New Hampshire, which he believes are the work of Temple. He goes to look for him and for answers. And as Shepherd hunts for Maxwell he is in for a profoundly unsettling shock. It is a dénouement rich in revelation of the kind that asks deep questions about the identity of the protagonist. Using the natural beauty of Vermont as a backdrop to the action, the novel explores forgiveness and our understanding of one another. It explores family relations and the mind of a psychopath.