A city girl moves to Arkansas, where she discovers that the locals are not as welcoming as they appear

When Valerie Wreyford's parents travel to the Middle East to do research for a new book, Valerie leaves the busy streets of New York City for the country quiet of Catalpa Ridge, Arkansas. While her parents are away, Valerie has volunteered to look after Granny deShan, whom she's never met. Granny's mind seems stuck in the past, and taking care of her full time is even harder than Valerie imagined. But when two local boys start showing an interest in Valerie, she decides that coming to live with Granny might not have been such a bad idea after all.

Just as Valerie is settling into her new life in Arkansas, she begins receiving threatening messages and ominous late-night phone calls. Someone doesn't want her to stick around Catalpa Ridge. And this person is willing to do whatever it takes to make her leave—no matter who gets hurt in the process.