A slice of paradise in the turquoise waters of southern Florida, the island is a lush, breathtaking sanctuary. Few can resist its allure, or its primitive beauty. Fewer still know its secrets

On a weekend away with her brother and niece, Beth Anderson is unnerved when a stroll on the beach reveals what appears to be a skull–instantly recalling the retired couple who disappeared off the island's coast a few months earlier. Sensing someone approaching, Beth quickly covers the 'evidence'. But when she later returns, the skull is gone.

Only her niece is a witness, there is no proof of foul play, and to her brother the missing skull is just a good tale to tell at an island camp–out that night–a tale heard by an eager group of holiday–makers including charismatic Keith Henson, the stranger from the beach. The events are dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination, but when Beth hears someone outside her tent she instinctively knows her fears are justified

Determined to find solid evidence to bring to the police, Beth digs deeper into the mystery of the skull. Everywhere she goes, Keith Henson seems to be, claiming he is keeping an eye on her safety though Beth senses otherwise. Then a body washes ashore, and Beth begins to think she needs help–because investigating is a dangerous game, and someone wants to stop Beth playing.