Trouble upends Sharon and Ryan Salazar's peaceful weekend on Mustang Island, a barrier island off the Texas gulf coast. The chain of events begins when their nineteen-year-old nephew, Miguel Meléndez, becomes involved with Bianca LaCroix, a predatory woman twice his age. When she's found stabbed to death on the front lawn of the Salazars' rental cottage, the police suspect Miguel of the murder.

With no concrete evidence to lead away from Miguel, Sharon tunes in on the undercurrents of everyday gossip to find Bianca's killer. With the help of the neighborhood busybody, Sharon discovers any number of jealous husbands and wives who might have motives for the murder:

Sour Thelma Bigelow is determined to keep suspicion focused on Miguel.

Lecherous car-dealer Slim Bigelow had kept Bianca supplied with a stream of late-model sports cars.

Mousy Ornella Hewett had harsh words for Bianca behind her back.

Starchy Keith Hewett is the model of respectability—on the surface.

Before Sharon can decide on the most likely of these, she meets Bianca's self-righteous vindictive sister and adds her name to the mix. Little by little, even more names surface. As a result Sharon finds herself traveling a complicated maze of intrigue before pinpointing the real killer.