Smokey Dalton gets a call from an old friend to help transport a battered woman and her young daughter from Madison, Wisconsin, to a shelter in Chicago. When Smokey and Marvella Walker show up at the drop site, they learn that the woman is both white and a racist. She refuses to leave with them. And that's only the beginning of their problems.

Chosen as one of the best mystery short stories of 2009, "Family Affair" shows why Booklist calls the Smokey Dalton books "a high-class crime series."

"You don't need to be a fan of private-eye novels to admire Smokey: You just need a conscience."

—Kirkus Reviews starred review of Smoke-Filled Rooms

"Nelscott's hard-boiled style gives an added blast of energy to the captivating story, and because her characters are so nuanced and naturally complex, we don't know whom to trust."

—The Boston Globe on Stone Cribs