At the northernmost point of Soledad County lies Cape Perdido - once a lumber town, now a getaway for tourists and outdoor recreationists. But when the water harvesting plans of a North Carolina company threaten the residents' livelihoods, four people get caught up in the fight to save the town: Jessie Domingo, a community liaison specialist from New York City; Joseph Openshaw, an environmentalist forced to face ghosts of his past; Steph Pace, a restaurateur and former love of Openshaw's who must confront the same ghosts; and Timothy McNear, a former lumber mill owner who harbours secrets of his own. The arrival of the "waterbaggers" will drive otherwise peaceful people to desperate acts, and a dramatic series of events-including a sniper's bullet, a midnight inferno, and an abduction - will awaken the residents of Cape Perdido to unsavoury truths about their town and each other.