Hank Arrowby, retired California firefighter and potter, receives word that he has inherited his deceased uncle's property in Vermont. Arriving in Vermont with his loyal dog, Sammy, Hank discovers that the property on Lake Champlain includes the body of a murdered man. A subsequent investigation by the Vermont State Police leads them to suspect that Hank's uncle was the perpetrator, but Hank, unable to accept this, conducts his own search for the killer. It is the opinionated, yet insightful, Sammy who narrates the story as Hank, struggling to restore both the property and his uncle's name, comes face to face with an assortment of Vermont characters ranging from beautiful realtor to scruffy hermit, and everyone in between.