Virgil Cain is a farmer who also tends to help rescue abused horses.  He hasn’t got many friends except maybe his partner in horse rescuing, Mary Nelson, the veterinarian.  Cain is a loner, a hard worker, and a man of simple desires. After finding his wife murdered Cain had to watch in the courtroom as a sleazy lawyer got the killer off.  Now that lawyer has been found dead, and Virgil is the first suspect.

Unfortunately, he swiftly becomes the only suspect when the lead cop decides there is no point in looking at anyone else. The killer going free does not sit well with Virgil; after all, he knows he did not kill anyone.  Finding himself behind bars worrying about his farm, the small number of cattle, and the rescued horses, Virgil cannot help but wonder how this is going to turn out with his “conviction” already being determined and no one looking for the real killer.  

Brad Smith does a great job of weaving a desperate tale of the innocently accused locked behind bars with no one to help them.  The characters are well developed and very likable, except, of course, the idiot cop that will not look past the end of his nose.  The settings range from a farm with a small herd of cattle, some rescued horses, and fields of hay to a recording studio with an award-winning producer.  The suspense gradually builds until the end when Cain figures it all out.  A great read!