It has been said that nothing is sure in life except death and taxes. But some people pay no taxes. So when a murder, gruesome and brutal, shatters the calm of a quiet Ontario village, the reality and finality of death are brought starkly into focus. The citizens are devastated and search for answers to such a horrific crime and to such aching loss. They ask, "Who did this? How could it happen here? What are we to do now?" But this crime is not the only source of pain and confusion. A cast of intriguing characters have each suffered wrenching loss in their lives - a spouse, a child, a personal belief, even a beloved pet. As they struggle to deal with this inevitable reality of death, they stumble upon the wisdom of one of the twentieth century's most incisive thinkers. This novel is both an unravelling of the mystery behind a ghastly crime, but also a revelation of a scientific and theological way of thinking as each character prepares for the ultimate certainty.