Leslie Leonard meets Dr. Gerard Martinson at a creative writers' conference where both escape their professions and embrace a shared literary avocation. Their short-term attraction at the conference continues as they celebrate together Thanksgiving in Manhattan and Christmas in Mystic, Connecticut, where Gerard makes his home.

No longer able to deny their romantic feelings, once in Mystic, they embark on a heated love affair soon interrupted by a ghoulish murder in the town's center. The murder jars the tranquil historic village with its charming drawbridge and sailing ships. Imagine the lovers' surprise when they realize each may share a tenuous connection to the victim.