When toddler Corban Foley vanishes from his home in the dead of night and a goat's head left on the front lawn, most of Montezuma County turns out for the search. But nothing is at it seems with this case, and Detective Jude Devine soon finds herself caught up in a small-town soap opera whose players seem more interested in their fifteen minutes of fame than in the fate of little Corban.
With the media snapping at her heels, Jude can barely conduct the investigation let alone have a private life, not that it's going well. Jude never liked time-sharing Dr. Mercy Westmoreland with English actress Elspeth Harwood, and when Elspeth buys land locally, Jude has to make some choices. The unexpected arrival in town of Chastity Young and her niece Adeline adds a new complication to Jude's life when she finds herself drawn to Chastity who is far from her usual type.