A soon-to-be-divorced young woman, Laura Olsen, is invited by an old college friend to housesit her bed and breakfast in the small northern California town of Mendocino. Laura quickly finds herself in the middle of an investigation into a local woman's murder on a stretch of beach close to the village. The local sheriff warns her not to get involved, but Laura ignores his advice. She not only meddles in the investigation, but finds herself in great danger as a result.