Jane Larkin disappeared without a trace in November 1976. When ten-year-old Miranda arrives home from school that autumn afternoon, finding her mother's pocketbook in its usual spot in the front hall, she assumes her mother will be back any minute. But as the hours tick by, alone in the house, Miranda becomes filled with a steady certainty that her mother will never come home again. In the absence of other leads, detectives quickly turn their suspicions toward Jane's husband, Daniel. A criminal defense attorney, Dan would know a thing or two about how to stay one step ahead of investigators. Indeed, no evidence is ever found. But nor is any real possible motive. And so Miranda and her two older brothers, Jeff and Alex, are left in limbo, to be raised by the man who may or may not have murdered their mother. Over the years, as the case grows colder, each makes their own uneasy peace with the situation. Until one day, when they are all grown-and a body is found. Suddenly, the investigation is reinvigorated, and everyone has to choose a side in a confrontation they have long avoided. Once lines are drawn, there is no going back. Untangling a web of family secrets, compelling motives, and long-held grudges, William Landay masterfully grapples with a tantalizing case, calling into question the most basic of morals: How deep should family loyalty run? What do we owe to the dead? And what happens when the search for the truth could cost everything?