Wynton Ellery is a security officer working customs in the port of New Orleans. Others presume they live in a world that makes sense. Wynton knows too vividly, that the rug gets pulled out from under long-held assumptions, and the narrative of a life can lose meaning. What starts out as a sunny, October day, ends with a saturation of vile smells endemic to the back seat of a police car, when he and his brother, Raymond, are innocently embroiled in a shocking murder case. The New Orleans detectives are at odds with mounting evidence and a slate of suspects, when authorization is given to pin a homicide on an innocent man. An only witness comes forward, but who can safeguard the witness and at what cost? This inspiring novel peers into the culturally unique southern city, four years after America’s worst national disaster. It offers a glimpse into the human conditions of class and race, as two diametrically opposed families struggle to come together. Ultimately, The Ray of Hope is a story of healing, as readers discover despite personal setback and heartbreak, despite community loss and division, hope shines through.