Ariel Custer

When Ariel Custer loses her parents and grandmother, she is left to build a future on her own. Her search for stability leads her to Judson Granniss, a young man who shares a house with his mother. Ariel owns half of that house. The other half belongs to Emily Dillon, whose late father, having wronged the Granniss family, divided the property in his will, perhaps as a form of restitution.

Mrs. Granniss is a strong-willed, judgmental woman who turns the shared home into a source of misery for both women. Emily bears the upheaval with patience, though she gradually starts to assert herself and takes day trips to escape Mrs. Granniss's sharp criticism. Meanwhile, Mrs. Granniss pushes Judson toward an unpleasant young woman, and he eventually leaves the house under the pressure of her plans. His growing friendship with Ariel draws him toward thoughts of faith and trust in God.

One day Emily does not come home from an outing. Her family and then the wider town grow anxious and organize a search. When it emerges that Emily has left a small bungalow to Ariel, suspicion of murder falls on Ariel and the Grannisses. The novel's ending is a surprise that keeps the pages turning.