John Maher and his little family wanted a comfortable life after the Civil War. But the young African American family discovers strange occurrences in their little world. Their close friends are suddenly missing and the abandoned mansion appears to be the cause of it. John is forced to fight again, using magic and gifts bestowed upon him by a hoodoo priestess when he was a child. But John is unprepared for the depth of evil in the small Missouri town.

Based on slave stories from the Federal Writer's Slave Interviews from the early 1900s, the book examines the prejudices faced by a recently freed slave family. Intelligent African Americans were kept from sharing their knowledge and skills as people because of the color of their skin. The fictional character, John Maher, also known as the Dark Reaper, due to his fighting skills during the Civil War, is forced to face a new enemy and is the only one capable of doing so. Because of his bravery and talent against evil he is able to earn the respect of his white neighbors.

Jeff Nebeker-Johnson is a slave genealogist and historian. He works as a full-time foot and ankle specialist in Salt Lake City, Utah.