As he works to introduce Pumpkin Fest to Woodland Park, Jonas Kirk stirs a nest of hidden enmities and memories of wretched misbehaviors. Four childhood friends, community leaders now, help organize the event . . . and then they begin to die-accidents it would appear. At the same time, Kirk finds himself increasingly lethargic, distracted from his commitments, and singularly focused on growing a pumpkin. "Really, Jonas? Gardening?" Sharon Cunningham asked. For a time, he had no answers for his preoccupation. A new face, Roger Blaisdell, sensed Kirk's emptiness, bonded and re-energized him. Together, they helped Devlin solve deaths, both old and new, redefining community leadership in Woodland Park for another generation.