Former police officer Sunny Eldridge is about to trade crime scenes for watercolors and enjoy her retirement. But in Merit Bay gossip travels faster than the tide, everyone knows everyone, and trouble knocks on her door. Especially when Nicole Lacy arrives.

Nicole didn't choose Merit Bay for its charm. She came to disappear. Fleeing the fallout of her brother's dangerous past, she's determined to start over with two bags and hope for a better life. But when anonymous threats follow her, it becomes clear that whatever her brother was mixed up in isn't finished with her yet. How could she know that buried in a small heirloom is a truth worth killing for?

As tensions rise and secrets surface, Sunny's instincts kick in. With a cast of kookie locals, a tight circle of friends, and a park ranger catching Nicole's attention, solving this mystery is personal.