title: The Opposite of Guilt
author: Miyashiro, Janet Herrick
description: When a young businesswoman's beloved grandmother is murdered by an assassin's bomb, she is drawn into a quest that reveals a shocking history of violence and betrayal. As Angelina (Jelly) Woodhouse wrestles with the mystery of her grandmother's murder, she finds her path repeatedly crossing that of a handsome young sociology professor named Valentine (Val) Redmond. Dr. Redmond is trying to clear himself of a false accusation of rape. Val and Jelly soon discover some curious connections in their respective family histories. Jelly realizes that untwisting the curious threads that bind their seemingly different cases could solve the mystery of Gramma's murder. But is her attraction to an alleged rapist putting her in danger? Val proves as adept at detective work as he is at academics, but innocence eludes him. He must simultaneously work overtime to win the heart of the compelling woman that "fate" has put in his path. For her part, Jelly's journey takes her deep within herself as well as back into a haunting past. Together, they follow a trail from the Bay Area to Sedona to Mexico as the mystery evolves into a tale of revenge and intrigue spanning three generations. With a colorful cast of characters - from the friends and family supporting Jelly and Val to the sinister plotters whose work they seek to expose, to the aging villain whose past misdeeds have once again come back to haunt him - The Opposite of Guilt takes the reader on a non-stop ride through a landscape of suspense, action, and humor, with moral and ethical questions that are never completely answered.