Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger and veterinarian Rachel Goddard are caught in a maelstrom of lies that stretch far into the past and suspicions that threaten the future.

Cam and Meredith Taylor, who run Mason County’s failing newspaper, are murdered within hours of one another. Rachel Goddard is dragged into the case because she heard—­but didn’t see­—Cam’s murder.

The Taylors arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and over the years they have made loyal friends and bitter enemies with their outspoken activism. By rescuing the small, bankrupt newspaper, they gained the wary respect of the local establishment. But when it started going under, Cam proved he would go to any lengths­—including blackmail—­to save it. Did his pressure tactics backfire and get him and his wife killed?

The victims’ daughter, Lindsay, is Tom’s former girlfriend. Does Lindsay’s return spell trouble for Tom and Rachel? To make matters worse, the prime suspect is a newcomer, cartoonist Ben Hern, the son of another 1960s activist and a childhood friend of Rachel’s. Discovery of a disturbing secret leaves Rachel wondering what else her old friend Ben is hiding.