Itâs Lew Ferrisâs first day as the newly-elected Sheriff of McBride County, and already things are heating up in the Wisconsin Northwoods. The tragic drowning of a teenage girl draws an eerie parallel to the unsolved murder of another teen thirty years earlier, but one of Lewâs new subordinatesâAlan Stern, Chief of the Deer Haven Police Departmentâhas ruled it an accidental death by drowning. Neither Lew nor the girlâs family accept the ruling, but Lew is up against a wall of sexism and subterfuge. Not only is Stern belligerent and dismissive of Lew, but he takes the word of the local coroner, Ed Pecore, who Lew believes is completely unqualified for the job. Adding to Lewâs headaches is unwelcome interference in the case by a multimillionaire resident reopening a cold case that stretches back decadesâand could lead to an anguished relative taking justice into his own hands to avenge a crime the cops never solved. And when Lewâs dear friend Dr. Paul âDocâ Osborne finds himself witness to a sophisticated money-laundering scheme that could threaten the lives of his daughter and her close friend, Lew finally feels like sheâs reached the breaking point. The fish may be biting in McBride County, but now Lew is on the line to uncover a long-buried secret that could ensnare a killer once and for all.