Everybody in the village liked Grace Mathison, but, when the body of this retired schoolteacher is found on the roof of her home, it is up to the small-town police force to determine what has happened and why.

 The residents of Summerfield, Ohio, under investigation and ranging in character, all add pieces to the puzzle. But the more the police department learns, the more questions they have, and the scope of their investigation grows. Solving the death of Grace Mathison is only the beginning, and the reputations of several leading citizens become at risk. In a town where everyone knows everyone else, the most danger comes from trying to keep something hidden.