Void Where Prohibited

<p>As <i>Void Where Prohibited</i> begins Ralph is hopelessly in debt. But when his loan shark suggests the murder of Ralph's wife Bonnie for the insurance money he is appalled: He's a putz maybe possibly all right if you say so. But a criminal? A murderer? His own family? All he can think to do is get up and storm out of the room.</p>Nevertheless it happens. The story of how murder comes about and what follows is recounted in two threads that are interwoven in alternate chapters. One thread traces the crime: the automobile collision that changes Ralph's mind the criminal investigation and the trial. The other thread focuses on Bonnie's family: their loving and supportive relationships the shock and grief after Bonnie's mother discovers the body and the life changing ramifications following the verdict.</p>Narrated in a breezy conversational manner <i>Void Where Prohibited</i> nevertheless delves deeply into matters of substance and thought. Bonnie father a devout Catholic cannot understand why his family has been singled out for calamity. Bonnie's brother a Catholic priest wrestles with the requirement of his faith that Ralph's sin must be forgiven. The entire family has to confront the implications of the prosecutor's intention to negotiate a plea agreement with Ralph instead of bringing him to trial. How the family copes and perseveres will have you loving them as much as they love each other.