The Distance Between Us: A Novel

An irrepressible female impersonator fights to protect the life she's built in a tale that's part mystery, part grand opera, and all heart.

Helena Handbasket never imagined she'd go from cleaning HomePort Mansion to running it. A whirlwind in heels, she has an uncanny gift for turning misfits into family and impossible odds into tomorrow's triumphs. She oversees the estate, its thriving Provincetown artists' colony, and brand-new museum while somehow holding together a sprawling found family that includes a runaway grandmother, an artist who found his long-lost nerve, a battalion of drag performers, and enough lovable eccentrics to fill Noah's Ark. Having spent her youth on the margins, Helena has built a community worth fighting for—and she's not about to let anyone tear it apart.

When a would-be socialite turns up dead in the studio of the colony's most famous—and most cantankerous—resident artist, Helena becomes the police's favorite suspect. To clear her name and protect the people she loves, she goes undercover while staying one step ahead of an acting chief who'd love nothing more than to lock her up.

Helena's investigation soon uncovers stolen paintings, a dark-web fencing operation, and a killer nursing a very old grudge, even as her relationship begins to fray under the strain. Her partner watches wealthy newcomers reshape the town he loves until he no longer recognizes his place in it, and a crackpot developer threatens the only place street musicians have to live. As old wounds and new ambitions collide, Helena must save not only herself but the fragile community she's spent decades building.

For readers of Armistead Maupin and Fannie Flagg who like their mysteries with camp, compassion, and more than a touch of theatrics.

A. C. Burch is the author of the award-winning debut novel, The HomePort Journals, and the short story collection, A Book of Revelations. His most recent novel is The Distance Between Us. An avid sailor, photographer, and gardener, he splits his time between Provincetown and South Beach. Learn more at ACBurch.com and follow ACBurchAuthor on Facebook and Instagram.