The year is 1986, the place is . . . pitiful. It's Decatur, Illinois, known for high unemployment, striking unions, the pervasive stink of soybean processing, and seven railroad crossings at one intersection.

A wrong turn along life's marital highway has left Catherine "Cragan" Collins stuck in Decatur. With a mountain of post-divorce bills to pay, Cragan takes a job selling high-priced newspaper advertising.

On the rebound, she accepts an invitation from Ross Gentry, a quiet hunk who favors pearl snaps and cowboy boots. Cragan reasons that her heart is safe, because she and Ross come from two different worlds. But one night in his arms might be enough to prove her wrong.

Without warning, everything blows up in Cragan's face. Her boss threatens to take away her accounts, a friend's little sister is kidnapped, and an overnight guest is shot. Cragan's best friend, Pru, is accused of attempted murder.

Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. Can their combined talents prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?

It takes a club to solve a mystery!