Tory Bodeen grew up in a run-down house where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt--and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. Her one escape was her neighbor Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away, and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child.

Then Hope was brutally murdered, and everything fell apart.

Now, as she returns to Progress with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, Tory is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle--Hope's older brother and the heir to the family fortune--she isn't sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.

But living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected. Because Hope's murderer is nearby as well. . . .

"Roberts may have achieved her personal best in this tense Southern Gothic. As atmospheric and unsettling as a Tennessee Williams play. . . . This is romantic drama at its best."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)