Following a failed second marriage, nurse and single mom Zena Carraway leaves Minneapolis behind and moves south to the seemingly benign coastal North Carolina town of Tryon's Cove. She soon falls in love with the community and with her new employer, Dr. Jim O'Brien. But once she and her two children are settled in, things don't seem quite right, and soon, Zena begins to bring changes to this quiet little town — changes that awaken dark demons. In rapid succession, Zena is forced to confront one after the other: traditional prejudice, derision, hate, and finally, horrendous crime. Ultimately, she has to face down her own terrible demon, one that threatens her very life.