Believing she'll get to report gritty news, Callie accepts a job at her hometown newspaper. Instead, she's assigned the gardening column—a subject she knows nothing about. She begs advice from a tight-lipped neighbor when he admits he's a retired gardener, even though his mannerisms and speech suggest he's anything but. Not knowing the full truth doesn't matter—she needs his help. The townsfolk think him strange and warn Callie to keep her distance, but she regards him and his family as friends. Learning their horrifying secret doesn't deter her, even though loyalty will draw her into danger.