Murder in a small town is always personal.

In the isolated ranching community of Lost Trails, Montana, Lacy Stillman, a rich elderly rancher has died of a heart attack in her own bed. What could be more normal than that? As Zak Waller, dispatcher with the local Sheriff's Office, joins the town in mourning the loss of the community matriarch, some disquieting information makes Zak wonder if Lacy's death was not what it seemed.

Meanwhile, Zak's friend Tiff Masterson is overwhelmed by her mother's escalating mental breakdown and her aunt's stubborn denial of the problem. Tiff assumes the root of the problem is the death of her brother and father sixteen years ago. But the real atrocity goes back much further than that. When the truth is revealed in a shocking twist, Tiff's world is turned completely upside down. The ramifications affect many of the most prominent citizens and provide the missing clue to Lacy Stillman's murder.