Joseph Openshaw, an environmentalist, grew up in Cape Perdido and has now returned to help the residents fight the plan of a North Carolina company to harvest water from the Cape and send to the southern part of California.  Steph Pace owns the local restaurant and was a former love of Openshaw's.  Steph is a member of the group called the "Friends" organized to stop the plan to harvest water in their community. Timothy McNear owned the lumber mill for years and when it closed down the community relied on tourists and outdoor sportsmen for their livelihood but if the water-harvesting plan goes through their livelihood would be threatened.

Jessie Domingo is a community specialist from New York City and is sent to the area along with a lawyer Fitch Collins to act on behalf of the Friends.  Jessie and Fitch don't see eye to eye at first but finally manage to overcome their differences and work together.

Some of the community residents decide to resort to violence to stop the company from proceeding but this only makes matters worse.

Old friends who have parted ways finally come together to try to save the town and halt the violence.  Even Timothy McNeal who has been pretty much a recluse since the mill has closed steps out from his shell and joins in the efforts.

A very old unsolved murder is finally solved but not before officials begin to disappear and suspicions run high.

REVIEWED BY PATRICIA E. REID

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REVIEWER, PATRICIA E. REID