Some places are too beautiful to be touched by horror. Summit Lake, in the mountains of North Carolina, should be one of those places, but, two weeks ago, Becca Eckersley, a young law student, is brutally murdered there. While the town deals with the loss and the residents share their theories, the police are lost. Journalist Kelsey Castle begins to investigate. The savage nature of the crime and the townsfolk's steely silence point to something much worse than an attack by a stranger. As she delves deeper, Kelsey feels a connection to the dead girl. She is convinced that the more she learns about Becca, the better she will understand her own dark past.