Beautiful Mellingham—it appears to be a safe haven on the New England coast where men, women, and children, old and young, can live in peace and harmony. But looks can deceive, as Chief of Police Joe Silva has discovered all too often in his long investigative career.
When murder occurs at the Arbella House, the headquarters of the local historical society, Silva is probably the only one in town who is not surprised. He knows all too well that crime, even murder, can take place in the most genteel environment.
He's worried, though, about at least one of the suspects—Gwen McDuffy, who volunteers at the Arbella House. A single mother with two children, Gwen seems to have a secret that is too heavy to bear. But is the secret related to the murder, or is it something more personally threatening to Gwen and her young family? Silva wants to know, for reasons that are not entirely professional.
There are others connected to the Arbella Society who are even more upset than Gwen when George Frome, the only member who pushed to bring the Society into the twentieth century, is found murdered in the Arbella House attic.
Catherine Rocklynd, the oldest and wealthiest member, seems to be crustier and more resentful than ever after the murder. Her nephew, Edwin Bennett, is hardly himself these days, but insists it's because he's worried about his aunt's health. Society Board member Kelly Kuhn, an art dealer and collector, worries about his escalating debt and becomes even more obsessed than before with building his private art collection. And Annalee Windolow, one of Kelly's customers, develops her own compulsive habits and knows just how to exploit Kelly's weaknesses. They all claim to know nothing about the murder.
George Frome had suspected theft at the Arbella House. Now George is dead, and Silva is left to sift through the lives of these always unpredictable suspects in his search for a killer. The only obvious clue is a collection of five paintings hidden away by an unknown hand.
