Shay's Crossing: A Family Mystery - Paperback

by R. J. Henry (Author)

Summoned back to his roots by an enigmatic letter from his deceased grandfather's lawyer, John Robert Horton is eager for the opportunity to spend a weekend with his six cousins, some of whom he has not interacted with in over thirty years. Arriving at the Rheinboldt farm, his mind flooded with wonderful memories of summers with his cousins, helping with chores and enjoying the freedom of youthful adventures and hijinks, he is eager to relive those moments and rekindle his brotherly love of his kin.Little does he know that his idyllic hopes are about to be challenged by a letter from the past; a letter in which his grandfather asks the cousins to work together to determine the fate of the family farm. As the weekend progresses and countless stories of the past are shared, it soon becomes clear that memories are personal and often not shared - at least in the context of what actually did or did not happen. Motives of perpetrators and responses of victims are never fully understood by either. The cousins struggle to find common ground in their past, leading to the emergence of old rivalries and the quickening of past grievances and hurts, which exacerbates their difficulties in seeking common ground to determine the future of the farm.Tensions and conflicts become inflamed, in part because of disagreement about how to honor their grandfather's request, but primarily as a result of the revelation of secrets from those 'halcyon' days - secrets which not only put cousins in conflict but also undermine the possibility of fulfilling that request. This is compounded by the tragic and unexplained death of one of the cousins which places what hopes they still cling to in peril, as they face the unknown consequences of a police investigation of the death, an investigation that leads to the revelation of a secret, long known by their parents, which had fractured their family as well as alienating friends.Can the cousins overcome the emotional challenge of dealing with their grief and learn to work together? Or will they simply abandon their grandparent's farm to the fickleness of fate and go back to living their separate lives?'Shay's Crossing' is a compelling story of family love and betrayal. And a reminder to each of us of the difficulties of overcoming past hurts and losses in seeking a better tomorrow.