Josiah Whitney is a semi-retired forensic engineer. A widower of two years he has settled in a small Piedmont town in North Carolina following the death of his wife Sarah. The adventure begins as he tries to understand a series of break-ins and fires that began suddenly without warning in the building he has purchased, renovated and now houses the towns newest hardware franchise. The story sweeps from the antebellum period of the American South and crashes into the present day as passions, greed, political corruption and subterfuge create an unforgettable tale of mystery, mayhem and new hope. Born in upstate NY. I am an author, a songwriter, musician and a retired Pastor, formerly a caterer and a sporting goods store owner, among several other professions. I had the extreme privilege of serving as lead pastor in Olean NY, Niagara Falls NY, LaFargeville, NY, and Laurinburg NC. I have been married to my wife Jane for nearly fifty years and we live together in the countryside West of St. Louis. I am currently serving as Worship leader at my home Church in Union, MO. I began this journey of ministry of writing to encourage especially those of retirement age or beyond to try new things, to hope for the here and now and to re-establish ties with family and friends. I publish a devotional blog each day at larrymlawrence.com, Finding God in the Mystery of every day.