In the Matter of Michael Vogel

It's late summer 1966 in a small town in upstate New York when the body of eight year old Michael Vogel is found at the bottom of the deep end of the municipal swimming pool four hours after closing. At first, the townspeople believe the initial reports that it was an accidental drowning, despite the fact that the boy's body wasn't discovered when the lifeguards searched the pool earlier in the day after his sister reported him missing. However, when an autopsy brings an unexpected result, it sets in motion a hunt for a killer, in a town unaccustomed to murder. The story is told from the perspective of three members of the community: a twelve-year-old boy with a future he hopes to avoid; a sheriff with a past he wishes to forget; and a forty-year-old bachelor with a secret he wants desperately to protect. Their stories all come together in a startling and thrilling conclusion that provides a measure of redemption for each of them.