The past becomes quickly bitter after the sweet dreams of the future die ...Charles Piper has been a respected judge in the small town of Fairmont, but there is little he can do to sway the courts of public opinion. When Martha Davidson's marriage fell apart, he was quick to offer her his help, and she was quick to return his kindness with his favorite chocolate pie -- and that's when the town's whispers began to swirl ...But when Martha dies, Charles is inconsolable, and there's only one thing he can do.Find her true killer -- assuming her son Matthias will let him.