In the sun-soaked summer of 2005, a brutal murder shatters the tranquility of Oceanic Park, unravelling secrets that could alter the tourist town forever.
When a migrant worker is found dead, attorney Ned Johnston is drawn into a web of intrigue that reveals a conspiracy far more dangerous than he ever imagined. With tensions already on the rise in the community, fueled by a City Council ordinance threatening the freewheeling carnival spirit of the boardwalk, Ned realizes that this murder is just the tip of the iceberg—a result of deeper societal and political issues that could tear the small town apart.
As local anti-immigrant vigilantes stir unrest and a sensationalistic talk-show host fans the flames of hatred, Ned uncovers a sinister political conspiracy that stretches far beyond the town's borders. With the return of enigmatic investigator, Sophia Ambrosetti, who seems to have her own agenda, Ned must confront his past while piecing together the clues that could lead him to the killer.
With Oceanic Park divided and time running out, can Ned uncover the identity of the killer and expose an insidious plot, or will he find himself ensnared in a deadly conspiracy that threatens to consume the town he loves?
Ned Johnston, a middle-aged attorney, has escaped the grind of a high-pressure job by returning to his hometown of Oceanic Park and establishing a small law practice. He spends his spare time hanging out at Java Joe’s Coffee Cafe, surfing the 21st Street beach break, and listening to music at an old jazz club called the Crow’s Nest.
The carefree days of summer in Oceanic Park are shattered, however, when a client and friend of Johnston’s dies under suspicious circumstances. Unsatisfied with the police investigation and suspecting a coverup, Johnston starts his own investigation into the death with the assistance of Sophia Ambrosetti, an investigator and forensic researcher. Their investigation has the effect of stirring up a hornet’s next and uncovers a web of corruption, deception, and murder.