It's August in the Berkshires, and the area is suffering from a terrible drought. As wetlands dry up, the perfectly-preserved body of a local young man, missing for forty years, is discovered in Wolf Bog by a group of hikers that includes Kathryn Stinson. Who was he and what was his relationship with close friend Charlotte Hinckley, also on the hike, that would make Charlotte become distraught and blame herself for his death? Kathryn's search for answers leads her to the discovery of fabulous parties held at the mansion up the hill from her rental house, where local teenagers, like the deceased, mingled with the offspring of the wealthy. Other questions dog the arrival of a woman claiming to be the daughter Charlotte gave up for adoption long ago. But is she really Charlotte's daughter? And if not, what's her game? Once again, Kathryn's quest for the truth puts her in grave danger.