A long-kept secret bubbles up and starts changing lives, when a sudden mysterious death triggers even deeper upheavals. No one can be sure if it was an accident, suicide, or murder.

The question ripples outward, casting a shadow over the beauty and spiritual influence of the region, leaving no one above suspicion. The divinations of an artist-shaman, the studies of an English teacher, and the machinations of a law student desperate for answers may combine to find the truth.

Spanning decades, Bruce Fraser's tale of betrayal and loss is republished in a revised edition with new material, continuing his trilogy exploring the vast canvas of the Chilcotin region of British Columbia.