Bonnie Von Stein's newly wealthy husband Lieth was murdered on July 25, 1988, while lying in his bed in Washington, N.C., and Bonnie, who lay beside him, was herself stabbed, beaten, and apparently left for dead. At Bonnie Von Stein's request, the author was drawn personally into this case to search for the truth about why this happened. Based on his investigation, the author portrays in this book a family tragedy played out against the tranquil background of small-town life. A central figure in this story is Bonnie, the victim of an earlier failed marriage, who was determined to make her marriage to Lieth succeed; this may have blinded her to the growing gulf between her husband and her children. She clung to her faith in her children: Chris, who was in the downward spiral of drug use and academic and social failure; and Angela, who was detached and emotionless. Bonnie defended her 20-year-old son as suspicion mounted that this North Carolina State college student had arranged the murder to inherit his stepfather's wealth. Investigators and Bonnie herself, however, were confronted with incredible leads that indicated the crime could have been a real-life enactment of the game called Dungeons and Dragons. Chris was unable to distinguish reality from the bizarre rituals of the fantasy game. Angela's account of sleeping undisturbed through the attack was met with skepticism by investigators even before they learned that the game's "Dungeon Master" may have coveted both her and the fortune she would inherit if her parents were dead. The author presents this story as at once a murder mystery, courtroom drama, and an account of a mother's love and courage.