When a group of high school students discover a mutilated dead body in an open field in the small town of Ashland, New Hampshire, the authorities believe the body is Betty Evans. Betty has been missing for two days, and the circumstances all fit. Chief of Police Joseph Tobin is reluctant to tell Betty's father the news, but Hank Evans is needed to identify the body of his daughter. When he confirms it's her, the investigation begins in earnest.

At first, Joseph thinks this is going to be an open-and-shut case-quite a relief in their small town where neighbor knows neighbor. One local man is an obvious suspect, and the eye of the law settles on young Billy Hart, who was dating Betty before her untimely demise. Billy and his brother, Dave, unfortunately come from a family with a reputation.

Billy and Dave's father is in prison for drug possession, and their mother is a well-known drunk. Even so, is Billy capable of murder? A high-priced law firm takes on the case, and lawyers Kathy Rahbany and Matthew Russell turn to their private eye, Peter Ray, in order to get some answers. It's going to take a team to solve this case, and Joseph and Peter soon band together to stop a dangerous killer from killing again.