In 1920s Arkansas, prominent yet self-centered attorney, Jake Witherspoon, returns to his hometown with this family to care for his widowed mother.  But soon, a tragic accident occurs robbing him of five years of his life. When he finally resumes the life he knew, Jake ends up in the middle of a shocking web of lies, deceit, and murder that forces him to confront a painful past. As the truth unfolds with the help of some unlikely characters, Jake discovers the man he was, as well as the man he wants to be. A Defect of Character is a journey of self-discovery and liberation involving murder, mystery, scandal, suspense, and political intrigue.