When a shocking crime shatters the tranquility of a remote North Carolina estate, the local authorities are baffled and the suspects are many. Into this tangle of secrets and misdirection steps an unlikely investigator whose brilliant, unconventional mind cuts through deceit where conventional inquiry fails.

As hidden rivalries and buried pasts surface among the residents of Pinelands, the investigation grows more treacherous with every revelation. Evidence points in contradictory directions, alliances shift, and the truth proves far darker than anyone suspected. Only by piecing together seemingly unconnected clues-and confronting the psychology of those who would kill to keep their secrets-can the mystery be unraveled before another life is claimed.

A classic puzzle of detection in the tradition of the Golden Age, The Trouble at Pinelands showcases Ernest M. Poate's gift for intricate plotting and memorable characterization in a richly atmospheric American setting.