March 1924. Mattie Duncan has a word for every occasion and a cryptic clue to define each one, but when she is accused of a crime that carries a severe punishment, the situation leaves the crossword puzzle creator D-U-M-B-S-T-R-U-C-K, ten letters; astonishingly silent.

Hugh Duncan wrestles with an unreasonable work assignment that keeps him from investigating his sister's legal woes. He can't afford to hire an attorney, but he'll cough up the dough and sacrifice some shut-eye until he wrings the truth out of the eyewitness or tracks down the guilty party.

Olive Thayer's daughter claims her mother is dead, but the living, breathing widow just landed a job. The spine-chilling incident that led her to the Indiana Woman's Prison makes her wonder if she'd be better off without the room and board. The way she sees it, the differences between being down on her luck and living a nightmare are the locks and keys that separate the two.

When trouble leaves no room for escape, what's a body to do?

Crossroads of America selections are stand-alone novels, each with unique characters and story lines. This novel is 354 pages.

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