After a stint of teaching in Fairbanks Alaska, Lydia Falkner is anxious to return to the Yukon Territory and her wilderness cabin. Her plans are torn apart when a dear friend is murdered, an old woman vanishes, and a mysterious woman is found dead in a gold mine. At first these seem to be separate, isolated events. But are they? Lydia's search for motives, connections, and answers becomes ever more frustrating. Journeys up and down the magnificent Yukon River, visits to a mushroom picking camp, a long trip to a remote First Nation village - all these forays expose pieces of the puzzle. Gradually a pattern emerges and, as it does, Lydia finds she has put her own life in grave danger.