Bailey Jones has always been a misfit in a town that sets a lot of store on family lineage, old money and homes that overlook the Chesapeake. As he makes plans to leave Marshy Hope Creek for good, a couple of things delay his departure. A developer unearths a long-dead homicide victim on land that was his up until a few weeks ago. And Chloe Richards is back in town.

The first piece of startling news sends a shiver down the spines of four of the town's most prominent citizens. Each of them has something from their past that could connect them to this discovery--with dire consequences. And the second piece of news sends a shiver down Bailey's back--a not unpleasant experience.

As the gossip mill kicks into overdrive, an air of expectation settles over the town. It will be a long, hot summer.