Codes & Covenants - V. Rizsami

On a dead-end street in a Pacific Northwest suburb, a history teacher who has just purchased her first home discovers that her bedroom overlooks a field where, decades ago, a man murdered three women. Heading the derelict Homeowners Association, a President with a host of prejudices and a fascination for true crime flouts the HOA's "Codes, Covenants, and Restrictions," and years of records have inexplicably gone missing. But most unsettling are the peculiar sensations Haley experiences when walking by the field. Though she has always rejected notions of the supernatural, she wonders whether a neighborhood's crime-ridden past can influence the mental stability of its residents.

When residents' imaginations get hijacked by rumor, incisive exchanges between friends and a diverse group of neighbors deepen Haley's understanding of herself- and, ultimately, of America's past. Codes and Covenants portrays the myriad ways people sow rancor and division within their communities. As Haley tries to unlock their secrets, she is forced to re-examine her life choices- and confront an American history she thought she knew.