Tony Rawlins does not think he is a stupidly gullible man. Forlorn and desperate to extricate himself from the aftereffects of a bad marriage, he attempts to find romance by answering a provocative personal ad. Unfortunately, Rawlins is about to find himself victimized by the woman he had hoped would cure his loneliness. Now she has accused him of killing her husband. Innocent but convicted on her convincing testimony, Rawlins heads to jail. Soon, and much to his relief, new evidence is uncovered that casts his accuser's story in doubt. She vanishes, and the conviction is set aside until she can be found. Vindicated at least for the time being, Rawlins returns to work where he unwittingly uncovers an illegal business that soon reveals the real reason for the murder. But now others are turning up dead-including the woman who accused him of murder. In a mystery trilogy of novellas filled with surprising twists and turns, Rawlins must decide who he can trust-and who he cannot-as he attempts to untangle himself from a dangerous and very determined web of fatal females.

Tony Rawlins does not think he is a stupidly gullible man. Forlorn and desperate to extricate himself from the aftereffects of a bad marriage, he attempts to find romance by answering a provocative personal ad. Unfortunately, Rawlins is about to find himself victimized by the woman he had hoped would cure his loneliness. Now she has accused him of killing her husband. Innocent but convicted on her convincing testimony, Rawlins heads to jail. Soon, and much to his relief, new evidence is uncovered that casts his accuser's story in doubt. She vanishes, and the conviction is set aside until she can be found. Vindicated at least for the time being, Rawlins returns to work where he unwittingly uncovers an illegal business that soon reveals the real reason for the murder. But now others are turning up dead-including the woman who accused him of murder. In a mystery trilogy of novellas filled with surprising twists and turns, Rawlins must decide who he can trust-and who he cannot-as he attempts to untangle himself from a dangerous and very determined web of fatal females.

Retired engineer Emmett Borden is emotionally drained as he drives away from his home in Mamaroneck, New York. As he heads west toward his childhood roots in Iowa, he just wants to escape from the surroundings that remind him of his beloved wife, who has just died from cancer. But Emmett is about to discover that life is full of surprises. After an exhaustive day of driving, Emmett stops at a lodge to spend the night and strikes up a friendship with the lodge's owner. Edie Adamson shows him her grandfather's exotic artifact collection that includes a bizarre-looking spittoon made from an elephant's right foot. After the two exchange goodbyes, Emmett eventually makes his way to Keonah, Iowa, where he accepts a job as a handyman for Elmer Diehl's hardware store. A short time later, while Emmett is making repairs at an antique shop, he stumbles upon the elephant's missing left foot and is unexpectedly embroiled in the midst of what appears to be a robbery. Suddenly, Emmett's quiet life becomes one spontaneous adventure after the other. In a small town surrounded by corn fields in Iowa, Emmett rediscovers love, friendship, and most importantly, his life's purpose.