Spencer Murphy is a national treasure. A famous war correspondent, he made a fortune off of his books and television appearances. But Spence is growing forgetful with age. When a body is discovered at the sprawling Murphy, Nantucket police detective Meredith Folger is called in to investigate. Merry is inclined to call the death a tragic accident - until another member of the Murphy clan comes to a brutal end. As Merry grapples with a family of unreliable storytellers she suspects that the truth may be out of reach, trapped in the failing brain of a man whose whole life may be a lie.