This super-engaging thriller couldn’t be more topical and timely. Author T. Matt Ryan, inspired from his observations and experiences in politics, has created a novel about corruption, betrayal, and revenge along with justice and redemption in small-town America.

Set in rural Western Colorado shortly after World War II, 17-year-old Gloria Knight’s life is shattered when she is raped after her high school graduation dance and her fiancé is falsely charged with the crime. Her father, the most powerful man in Goodwin County, orchestrates a cover-up of the crime with...