Skye Denison-Boyd and her husband, Wally, are meeting with their priest to finalize the arrangements for their twins' baptism when a loud blast rocks the rectory. Seconds later, they discover that there has been an explosion at the town bowling alley. Although the bowling alley was closed at the time, there's a dead body inside, soon identified as Paige Myler. Paige was a representative for a huge property/casualty insurance company that many Scumble Riverites are suing in the wake of a recent tornado. Even with two newborns to care for, Skye can't help herself from looking more closely into the suspicious death—and what she finds is much more sinister than she ever imagined.