Snow before Halloween shocks the residents of tiny Park County, Tennessee. While dealing with a multitude of minor issues, Sheriff Tony Abernathy is contacted by a charter pilot who claims his passenger jumped, without a parachute, into the most remote spot in the county. After riding mules into the wilderness to collect the body, Tony and his deputy must travel to North Carolina, in a blizzard, to notify the widow. Problems multiply. Tony's wife, Theo, is shocked to see a woman at the grocery store with a knife embedded in her back. Then a priceless quilt is stolen. As the sheriff, Tony hates Halloween. Even so, he never expected a valuable coffin, and the body inside, to go missing.