Mayor Loren Graham is counting on Emerald Point's new community center to attract the tourists the town needs to recover financially from the devastating effects of the previous year's tornado. And she's pulling out all the stops to make sure everything's ready for the start of the summer season on Memorial Day. But Loren's best laid plans can't stem the run of misfortune plaguing the Lake George community. First, a body in contemporary clothing turns up among the statues of Rogers' Rangers in a French and Indian War display case, a body which disappears before it can be identified. Then, as the town gathers to celebrate the center's opening, a mysterious explosion disrupts the festivities. A few nights later, attractive, popular Madeline Hathaway, a driving force on the center committee, is found murdered outside her elegant lakeside home. Madeline kept many secrets, both from her wealthy but socially inept husband, Ted, and from the new friends she made after moving to the lake. When Madeline's poor relations arrive in Emerald Point unexpectedly, they ask Loren for help. As Loren comes to their aid, she learns more than she bargained for about Madeline's past and a secret affair which will shock the town and turn her own life upside down.