Deep in the woods of Wisconsin, little Mary Martin has been missing for five weeks.
Meanwhile, city girl Clare Paxton thinks she's destined for boredom when she returns home to Danfield, Wisconsin, to care for her lonely mother. But when a little girl goes missing, leaving only her tiny blue shoes behind in the dark northern forest, Clare can't idly stand by as local police fumble the case. Handsome police chief Jared Grady seems far more interested in keeping watch on Clare's meddling than searching for the girl, and no one in town seems to care that there could be a kidnapper in their midst—or worse. Why would the townspeople of Danfield allow little Mary's case go cold?
As Clare's investigation heats up, she discovers more than she might have hoped about her small-town neighbors. And she may be Mary Martin's only hope of returning home safe and sound.