The story takes place in the magnificent Cape Cod town of Osterville Massachusetts. The whole town is affected after a body washes up on the shore-more so, when they discover it is the teenage daughter of a respectable, hardworking black family. The murder investigation that follows, led by diligent Lilly McCoy, shakes the community to its foundations as the social and political differences between the affluent Curtain family and the family of the victim bubble to the surface. As the story unfolds, the secrets and lies inherent in the nature of the character are starkly revealed. Can detective McCoy find the truth, and if so,can she bring the murder to justice? A story of life, and loss-all bound together like the stitches on a quilt.