Gems in the Cracks is a romantic thriller with mystery suspense and murder. Liz would give her life for her teenage son, who seems to keep plunging deeper into trouble; and we are drawn into their lives by the author's web of emotion. Through their struggles against poverty, racism, social inertia, and the intrigues of the Mafia, the writer exposes the imperfections of our society. Tension rises as mysteries of senseless murders unfold, and the kid seems to stumble blindfolded among the cracks of our society. Maggie Fitzgerald, a judge, sees a rough gem in this and other troubled youths, and implores us to look closer. But his perils seem insurmountable, and the rising tension is tempered by romance, as it climaxes in a heated murder trial, where it seems that both society and the law are also on trial. The prosecutor contends that we are being attacked by our youths. "We pamper, spoil and protect them…. We withhold their names and conceal their faces. We nestle them in that impregnable cocoon of juvenescence…And so they hold society hostage with this mandate, this very licence we provide them to break the law." The defence examines the illogic and injustice, of felony murder, and the responsibility of society in the matter. Are our youths totally lost? Did we give them a maze when they asked for a map? Are they Dr. Spock's young Frankensteins just coming home to roost? Whatever the answer, we are enthralled by a mysterious twist at the end.