A mystery unfolds in the little town of Greenwood when the enigmatic Marvin vanishes without a trace. What intrigue, secrets, and oddities lie behind this man and his disappearance? It may take a shrewd, prying mind to uncover the truth.

When the beloved and mysterious professor Marvin Chipley disappears without a trace, only his brother Elliott remains in a family whose great wealth and numerous investments have been deeply involved in building the town of Greenwood to its current state in the second half of the 20th Century. The Chipley legacy is tightly interwoven in the fabric of the local community, and Martin's vanishing makes waves.

As the town's only detective, Blutcher Taylor, sets out to find the truth, he must do so amidst a community grappling with racial tension, the emergence of air travel to distant locales, and all the many changes that mark this period of time. The entire town-its bank, hospital, college, businesses, churches, legal system, and art community-is pulled into the search for answers as Taylor hunts for the ties and bonds, the secrets and motivations that weave a tapestry of complexity among the people of the town.

This immersive, character-driven novel explores how who we are is changed by-and changes-the people around us, offering a profound look at what it means to face change, establish loyalties, and make an impact in small-town America.

Fans of the deep, humanity-focused character studies in Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man will love this book for its rich attention to small-town lore, its passion for the human element, and its emphasis on the relationships and bonds-spoken and otherwise-that build a community.