When Meredith Morehouse, curator of the eclectic Imogene Museum, finds an empty ornate frame, the still-life painting hurriedly sheared from its moorings, she and Sheriff Marge Stettler scramble to identify the intruder.

Not because his taste in art is questionable, but because the thief's intimate knowledge of the museum and its collections indicates much more is at stake.

Is the thief a friend or stranger?

It doesn't help that the population of Platts Landing, Washington has just blossomed with an influx of Hollywood movie types roaming the countryside in search of the perfect setting for their next documentary.

Nor that Meredith's boyfriend Pete has just spotted his ex-girlfriend among the production crew.

Can Meredith protect Sockeye County's iconic cultural institution and her beloved employer, Rupert Hagg, from the thief's sinister intent?