by June Hampson

It is 1962 and Daisy Lane—whose husband, Kenny, is in jail for robbery—lives over and runs the family's cafe with Kenny's older brother, Eddie. The Lane brothers were both abused by their father, but Eddie took the brunt of the beatings. He has grown into a handsome, resourceful villain with a streak of viciousness that leads him to commit acts of terrifying violence as he runs his prostitution rings and protection rackets. Yet even Eddie has an Achilles heel: he loves Kenny but he worships his brother's wife, who still resists him. In jail, Kenny is the victim of a sadist. His psyche begins to crack and he takes it out on Daisy when she visits. Inevitably, this drives her toward Eddie's open arms. But when Eddie overreaches and pulls a racket too far, Daisy is suddenly placed in the way of a mobster who is even harder and more territorial than Eddie.