Combining romance with the darker side of human nature, this novel opens
with the hanging of an ex-World War I soldier for involuntary murder.
The element of violence blends with a love story involving the late
soldier's sister, who seeks to possess the life of her brother's closest
friend, John Hughes. Hughes then finds himself drawn into the circle
affected by the hanging, contemplating murdering the sister himself.
Capturing the terror of a war abroad as it penetrates the tranquility of
a small town, this tale illustrates how a man's death can haunt those
who endure his execution.