In the small Southern California town of San Mercury, a botched robbery in a pizza joint parking lot involving two young black men and a white man leaves one black man dead. The incident rocks the citizens to their core. Was it race-related or just a tragic accident? Detectives James Ferrian and William Larson are on a mission to find out, but others in town are jumping at the chance to come to their own conclusions. Black activist Rev. Leasure Woods turns the incident into a selfish publicity opportunity, while one of the witnesses is bound and determined to twist the night's events to her own satisfaction. But what none of them can know is how the robbery opens wounds thought to be long healed from ten years ago. Mysterious phone calls to Washington, DC, and a shaded past only deepen the mystery. When the small town quickly turns into a battlefield, strange alliances are made-and friendships are tested. Where there is no right or wrong-no black and white-the best you can hope for is "A Shade of Gray."